Let me give you the rundown on JA Happ, since he's been one of my top five favorite pitchers of the past few years:
He's a very good pitcher. Unfortunately, he flies under the radar - so much so that manager John Farrell had the fucking nerve to stick him in the bullpen when he first arrived in Toronto. Farrell is actually one of the brighter young managers out there, but that was honestly one of the most retarded moves I've seen in recent memory. To his credit, he made a switch quickly and shifted Brett Cecil (Who isn't bad at all, actually) out of there in favor of Happ, and what we've seen from him lately is very indicative of what he is easilyyy capable on a regular basis. He showed it almost every five days in 2010 when he first got to Houston; he showed it throughout his early tenure with Philadelphia. And despite a disastrous start in 2011 with Houston, he was nearly flawless the rest of the way after being recalled from his brief, albeit very humbling, minor league stint. In other words, when Happ is set mentally, he's a top-tier pitcher, period. There's no question about how good his stuff is, and he's a very smart pitcher. He studies a lot of film, and in that regard, he's almost like a workaholic; very dedicated to mastering his craft, which is another reason I love him. But back to my main point, when he's in the right mindset, that's when he's at his best. And by that, when he's thrusted into something and kind of forced to shine (Ex. Being traded to Houston in 2010 and needing to show them what he has; Returning from the minors in summer '11 and needing to re-prove himself; His current opportunity with Toronto after wrongfully spending time in the bullpen, and seeking to prove himself for next year), he's nothing short of excellent. He SHOULD continue his roll today, especially against a somewhat depleted Yankees' lineup. He also steps up for bigger games against aces (Ex. Out-pitching Justin Verlander in his last start before being taken out; Countless duels in the National League with top pitchers), and I expect no different this afternoon.
Yeah, so that's the book on Happ. I endorse the under, but am NOT taking it because the line is 8.5 instead of 9, and in a park like Yankee Stadium, even if a guy is dominating, a harmless fly ball could turn into a three-run homer in that fucking joke of a park, which could unfairly end up *snowballing* for Happ (Sabathia rarely really let in-game scenarios dictate his mindset; he just goes out there and throws no matter what), so I won't be biting. It is a good bet, though.
