TORONTO (AP) - J.A. Happ’s return to the Toronto rotation might not last too much longer.
Happ was hit hard Saturday in his second start for the Blue Jays, putting a potential third turn in jeopardy.
Happ allowed four runs and seven hits, including two home runs, in 2 1-3 innings as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Blue Jays 5-3.
Rookie C.J. Cron hit his first major league homer and Chris Iannetta added a two-run shot as Angels won their sixth in a row at Toronto dating to 2012.
“He got behind on a few counts and they made him pay,” Blue Jays catcher Erik Kratz said.
Toronto has lost two straight following a season-best five-game winning streak.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons declined to speak to reporters following the game, fueling speculation that Happ could be replaced in the rotation with rookie Marcus Stroman.
Happ (1-1), who started the season on the disabled list before working out of the bullpen, moved into the rotation when right-hander Brandon Morrow sustained a finger injury last week.
The left-handed Happ worked five shutout innings against Philadelphia on Monday, but couldn’t keep the Angels off the board after a perfect first inning. The Angels scored three runs on five hits in a bat-around second, which ended with Albert Pujols’ flyout to the warning track to leave the bases loaded.
“It certainly was frustrating today not being as sharp as I’d like,” Happ said.
Chris Iannetta hit a two-run homer in the second and rookie C.J. Cron hit a second-deck drive in the third.
Tyler Skaggs (3-1) pitched into the ninth inning and retired 21 straight batters. Skaggs (3-1) improved to 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA in three road starts as the Angels won for the ninth time in 10 meetings with the Blue Jays.
“Outstanding,” said bench coach Dino Ebel, who ran the team for the second straight day while manager Mike Scioscia attended his daughter’s college graduation. “He pitched one heck of a game for us, took us into the ninth inning. Can’t say enough about the kid today.”
Skaggs said his two-seam fastball was “a huge pitch” against the Blue Jays.
“I threw a ton of two-seamers today and they kept grounding it into the ground and popping it up,” he said.
Skaggs gave up two earned runs and four hits, leaving after Jose Reyes and Melky Cabrera started the bottom of the ninth with back-to-back singles.
Skaggs retired Dioner Navarro on a fly ball to end the first inning and didn’t permit another runner until the eighth.
Joe Smith gave up an RBI single to Jose Bautista in the ninth, then got Edwin Encarnacion to ground into a forceout. Navarro made it 5-3 with an RBI single before Smith got pinch-hitter Adam Lind to ground into a double play for his fourth save in six chances.
Bautista reached on a fielding error by Skaggs in the first and scored on a two-out double by Encarnacion. Skaggs then began his streak of setting down Toronto hitters.
The string almost ended when Iannetta dropped a third strike to Juan Francisco in the eighth, but the catcher made a strong, off-balance throw to first for the out. Steve Tolleson followed with a double.
Cron made it 4-1 with a towering drive in the third, and Happ was replaced by Todd Redmond after Iannetta followed with a sharp single to left.
The Angels made it 5-1 in the sixth when Collin Cowgill scored from second on a throwing error by shortstop Reyes.
NOTES: Scioscia is due to return Sunday. … Toronto failed to hit a home run for the first time in 10 games. … Blue Jays INF Brett Lawrie (right hamstring) missed his fifth straight game. Gibbons said Lawrie will see time at second base against right-handed starters when he returns, probably Monday, allowing Toronto to keep Francisco in the lineup at third. … Angels RHP Jered Weaver (3-2) faces RHP Drew Hutchison (1-2) in Sunday’s series finale. … Blue Jays reliever Sergio Santos pinch-ran for Navarro in the ninth.
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