J.A. Happ #33 of the Toronto Blue Jays delivers a pitch in the first inning during MLB game action against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on August 25, 2016 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images
J.A. Happ has been is as close to a guaranteed win as it gets for the Toronto Blue Jays every time he has taken the mound this season.
Thursday night at Rogers Centre that guarantee was revoked.
Happ was rolling along until he was undone by a fluky hit off his left foot in the pivotal sixth inning where the Los Angeles Angels (54-73) erupted for four runs and would go on to defeat the Blue Jays (71-56) 6-3.
It was a disappointing conclusion to the series for the Blue Jays, who were hoping to take advantage of a team that is mired in last place in its division while padding their own lead atop the American League East in the process.
Mike Trout, the outstanding L.A. centrefielder, continued his most-valuable-player like performance this season, going 3-for-4 at the plate and knocking home four of the Angels' runs in the triumph.
The Angels dragged themselves into Toronto for the set in the midst of an awful 10-game losing skid on the road.
But it was the Angels who played like the frontrunners, taking two of three from Toronto.
The Blue Jays can at least find some solace from the fact that they still have a share of first place along with the Boston Red Sox, who were upended 2-1 by the Tampa Bay Rays.
Toronto has a chance to regroup at home against another divisional cellar-dweller in the Minnesota Twins, who will start a three-game set against the Blue Jays Friday night.
The Blue Jays welcomed back slugger Jose Bautista to the lineup off a 15-day stint on the disabled list rehabbing a sore left knee.
In order to make room on the 25-man roster, the Blue Jays sent infielder Ryan Goins down to their Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo.
Toronto also had to make due for the third straight game without the services of second baseman Devon Travis, who continues to be sidelined with a sore knuckle on his right hand.
The Blue Jays initially felt that Travis might only have to miss one game and his continued absence has left Toronto manager John Gibbons shorthanded on the bench.
"We can't wait too long," manager John Gibbons said before the game, hinting that a stint on the DL might be in the offing if Travis doesn't hurry up and heal.
Bautista did not play in any rehab games during his convalescence apart from a "simulated" outing where he said he got nine at bats against minor league pitching.
Batting leadoff for Toronto as the team's designated hitter, Bautista's rustiness facing major league pitching was clearly evident, taking an awkward swing striking out in his first plate appearance against L.A. starter Jered Weaver.
Bautista fared better in his next at bat in the second inning, stepping into the batter's box with one out and the bases loaded.
Bautista, who would go 1-for-4 in the game with two runs batted in, gave the ball a ride but it eventually drifted into the glove of Kole Calhoun on the warning track in right field, a sacrifice fly that provided the Blue jays with a 1-0 lead.
Josh Donaldson then made it 2-0, crushing a Weaver offering to centre field in the fifth inning for his 29th home run of the season.
But things started to unravel after that for Happ, who has been so consistent for Toronto all season, his 17 wins on the year tied or the major league lead.
He took worm burner line drive off his left foot in the sixth inning off the bat of Calhoun that went for a hit and loaded the bases for L.A. with nobody out.
Happ was limping slightly afterward, but stayed in the game.
"I felt like I was going deep in that game for sure," Happ said afterward, adding he was left with just a bruise. "It didn't bounce our way.
"I think if that ball doesn't hit off my foot there, potential double play and the inning looks a whole lot different, maybe get out of it."
Instead, the bases were left loaded for Trout, which is never a good idea. And Trout delivered, knocking a single into left that cashed two L.A. base runners to tie the game.
The Angels would tag on two more before the inning ended, chasing Happ in the process, to secure a 4-2 advantage.
Happ left having surrendered four runs off six hits over five-plus innings to see his streak of 11 consecutive decisions with a win come to an end. His record is now 17-4.
The Angles inflicted more damage in the seventh, this time off the Toronto bullpen where Trout drove in two more on another bases-loaded single off pitcher Joaquin Benoit.