Something Like That: Phillies 2, Astros 1

by dajafi on Apr 11, 2010 4:38 PM EDT

The Truth. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

This was probably pretty close to how Ruben Amaro Jr. drew it up last year. Facing Astros ace Roy Oswalt with the chance to sweep an early road series and pick career win #150, Roy Halladay was at his efficient best in a complete-game victory Sunday in Houston. On a day when the Phillies lineup finally rested after five straight double-digit hit performances, the Doc kept things under control by limiting the home team to seven hits, all singles, and walking none while striking out eight to improve to 2-0 on the young season.

Jimmy Rollins accounted for half the Phillies' scoring on the first at-bat of the game, homering off Oswalt to give the club an immediate 1-0 lead. An inning later, Carlos Ruiz's groundout plated Raul Ibanez to make it 2-0. But that was it for the day, as Oswalt recovered to work six sharp innings in holding the Phils to five hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. Ryan Howard quadrupled his 2010 strikeout total, fanning three times a day after almost single-handedly carrying the offense in Saturday night's 9-6 win.

It didn't much matter. Halladay was almost flawless until the sixth, then did his best work after two singles and his own error loaded the bases with none out. He induced a double-play grounder from Cory Sullivan that scored Houston's lone run, then popped up Carlos Lee to end the threat. In the seventh, the Astros again started the inning with consecutive singles, and had two men in scoring position with one out. But Halladay recovered to get a hard grounder back to the mound from J.R. Towles and strike out pinch-hitter Jason Michaels. He retired the final six Houston hitters to notch his first complete game as a Phillie, needing all of 111 pitches.

The Phils come home from a very successful 5-1 road trip to make their Citizens Bank Park debut Monday afternoon, as Cole Hamels faces Jason Marquis.

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A bit more

As I was in a hurry to get to the store before it closed, I didn’t really have time to describe Halladay’s work in the detail it deserved. A couple points:

—he was actually working sort of hard early, running a bunch of three-ball counts in the first couple innings. Then at some point his location kicked in, and the hitters were helpless. As someone on BSG put it, imagine Greg Maddux working at 93-94 and you get the idea.

-Halladay had something like 85
pitches thru 6-not inefficient, but not a pace where you’d expect him to finish. Not only did he finish, getting the top six guys in the Houston lineup to end the game; he needed less than 20 pitches to get them. Granted that the Astros aren’t a fearsome club right now—Berkman is hurt and Pence sat today—that’s still pretty amazing at the end of a game.

—the mental image that came to my mind was the end of “The Matrix,” where Neo comes back from the dead and tends off a furious,
desperate attack while projecting boredom and faint contempt. Rarely if ever has a one-run road lead in the ninth felt so secure.

by dajafi on Apr 11, 2010 5:12 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Rarely if ever has a one-run road lead in the ninth felt so secure.

It felt like Lidge was in there when Lee hit that hanging breaking ball for a rather long strike 1, but Halladay’s craftiness showed when the next pitch was offspeed too

"My grandmom's favorite grandson, ask my grandmom" --Rone

by layout ultimate on Apr 11, 2010 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Or the Lidge of 2008

I wasn't even a year old but I stayed up to be outside the Vet with my Dad and Mom when the Phillies won the World Series 1980.

by Christopher A on Apr 11, 2010 6:27 PM EDT up reply actions

A bit more

As I was in a hurry to get to the store before it closed, I didn’t really have time to describe Halladay’s work in the detail it deserved. A couple points:

by dajafi on Apr 11, 2010 5:12 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

I can say that again

Dangers of mobile/subway posting

by dajafi on Apr 11, 2010 5:13 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

At least you have that excuse

my typing and proof reading is so bad that even the Dali Lama would make fun of me.

by j reed on Apr 11, 2010 6:17 PM EDT up reply actions

It's not that bad - at least you didn't call him the Dolly Llama

"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"

by The Dark on Apr 12, 2010 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions

great game from halladay. he really came through when our hitters were unable to produce runs. hard to believe he has 2 wins in the first week or so of the season.

by tat167 on Apr 11, 2010 6:14 PM EDT reply actions

Looking at the schedule, is it really that hard to believe?

"My grandmom's favorite grandson, ask my grandmom" --Rone

by layout ultimate on Apr 11, 2010 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions

I guess it’s just hard to believe that a Phillies pitcher could have two wins at this point of the season.

by packimop on Apr 11, 2010 10:03 PM EDT up reply actions

SO effing glad that guy is out of the AL East.

Enjoy his 20+ wins.

Strikeouts are boring- Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic.

by CasanovaWong on Apr 11, 2010 6:15 PM EDT reply actions

A friend of mine who’s a Yankees fan described Halladay’s first start as “opening day jitters” and promised he’d get better.

by dajafi on Apr 11, 2010 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Won’t really help you that much though, seeing as how your main competition won’t have to face him either. Unless you’re expecting to be in a battle for the wild card.

by taco pal on Apr 11, 2010 10:27 PM EDT up reply actions