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The Yankees acquired Happ from the Toronto Blue Jays for Brandon Drury and Billy McKinney on July 26. Nine days earlier, Happ had closed out the All-Star Game with his first save since his freshman year at Northwestern. He has won all five of his starts since the trade, with a 2.37 earned run average, and is scheduled to face the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, though his biggest start may come in October if the Yankees end up in a wild-card game.

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The last Yankee to start and win each of his first five games for the team was Bob Turley in 1955. But thriving after a midseason trade is nothing new for Happ. This was the fourth time he was dealt in July, and each time, he has had a winning record after the deal.

“He’s so poised and so under control and has such a good idea of what he’s trying to accomplish,” said the Yankees’ Neil Walker, a teammate in Pittsburgh three summers ago, when Happ was 7-2 down the stretch. “In ’15, there was no moment that was too big for him. And facing him when he was with Toronto, there was no situation too big for him.

“I was asked my opinion on him possibly coming here and that’s exactly what I said: ‘I think he’ll be able to seamlessly come in and throw the ball the same way as he has been all year’ — and, really, for the last several years.”

Happ left Pittsburgh and was 20-4 for the Blue Jays in 2016, when he also won a playoff start. He had not made one for the Pirates, who chose Gerrit Cole to start their wild-card game against the Chicago Cubs in 2015. Happ had pitched better down the stretch, but Cole had made the All-Star team and was the Pirates’ homegrown ace.