J.A. Happ is slowly earning back the Yankees’ trust

SEATTLE — The J.A. Happ experience continues for the Yankees.

There was progress Monday night. But there also was another home run allowed, the 32nd of the season, and this one was a three-run blast.

Happ lasted just five innings, but it was enough to get the win and improve to 11-8 because the Mariners tried an opener followed by lefty Tommy Milone.

The Yankees and Mike Ford (two home runs) pulverized Milone as the Yankees came away with the 5-4 victory at T-Mobile Park.

As the sixth inning came around, Happ stood on the top of the dugout steps, but it was then that Aaron Boone went to newly acquired reliever and former Mariner Cory Gearrin. Then it really got weird as Gearrin was called for the first balk of his career because of a unique toe-tap on his delivery.

In the end, Happ allowed three runs on two hits, struck out seven, but again, one of those hits was a three-run home run by Dylan Moore in the second inning off a changeup.

“It was really one swing,’’ said Happ, whose ERA stands at 5.57. “There is nobody more frustrated than me. But in order to stay sane, I think I got to definitely have to take the positives here. Overall it was a good outing.’’

Boone did not want to go more than 95 pitches with Happ.

“I thought he finished really strong,’’ Boone said. “I even toyed with sending him back out, but with 95 pitches there at that spot, I thought it was the right thing to get him out of there.’’

It appears Happ is in the Bubble Wrap portion of his Yankees career. They are trying to protect him, perhaps maybe trying too hard to protect him.

By going only five innings, that put a lot of stress on the bullpen, though the Yankees survived. It is just that three-run home runs leave doubt in a manager’s mind.

In the bottom of the second after the Yankees had posted four runs in the top of the inning, a one-out single to Tom Murphy and a walk to Omar Narvaez set the stage. Happ then struck out Jake Fraley but surrendered the two-out home run to center to Moore, the No. 8 hitter in the lineup.

Giving up a two-out, three-run home run to the No. 8 hitter on a 56-76 team does not build confidence.

Imagine Happ pitching in the postseason and giving up such a blow. Boone did not want to take the chance of Happ giving up another home run and decided to go with his bullpen.

But Boone is seeing progress in Happ.

Asked where his trust level is with Happ, Boone said, “Good. We feel like we are making some progress each and every outing. We are seeing a lot of good each and every outing. Again, it’s the mistakes though that have been homers that have really cost him. So, hopefully we can build again off of the positives. It’s a win. It’s five innings. It’s leaving with the lead and finishing really strong and hopefully this is something he can try to continue to build on.’’

Small steps and being positive for the next outing.

This was Happ’s 26th start of the season.

“I felt like my fastball had some life tonight,’’ Happ said.

That is a big improvement.

“I was trying to stay aggressive,’’ Happ added. “I felt like I could have gone out and try to give us a little bit more but I certainly understand where we were at to go the way we did.’’

Maybe next time. There are problems to work through. Happ only gave up those two hits, but he did surrender three walks. That is a recipe for disaster. Those five innings were one more inning than he pitched in Oakland last week when he gave up five earned runs and two home runs.

All those home runs create doubt in a manager’s mind. Trust is earned. Happ is still in the process of trying to earn that trust.

Over his last 13 starts, he has gone six innings only once. More progress will earn another inning.