Astros left-hander J.A. Happ took a giant step forward Friday night by allowing just two runs (one earned) on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts over six innings, despite taking over the National League lead with his 15th loss this season in San Francisco's 2-1 victory over Houston to even the four-game series.
Happ made his first start for Houston since being recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he went 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA over three starts.
At the time of his demotion to Triple-A on Aug. 6, Happ told manager Brad Mills that he lacked confidence and needed to restore it.
The 28-year-old lefty got out of the major league environment and focused on what he needed to do in order to get back on track.
Although San Francisco continues to battle Arizona for the NL West divisional title, they rank toward the bottom of most MLB offensive categories -- making them an ideal lineup for Happ to face.
Happ showcased better fastball command and was able to utilize a solid curveball and rely on his changeup when getting behind in the count.
He exemplified a high level of confidence by throwing Orlando Cabrera a changeup with two outs and the bases loaded in the second to escape the inning with the veteran shortstop grounding out.
"That was an outstanding outing," Mills said. "He got into a groove and was throwing the ball with confidence. It was nice to see. To see him continue to pound the strike zone, work like he did, to find that rhythm and make good pitches, what a great job."
Now, it's a matter of Happ building upon that confidence by keeping the momentum going and trying to finish the season on a strong note.
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