With every start he makes Roy Halladay appears to look just a little more locked in. It may have only been April 13th, but Roy looked like the Roy of last September.
Last night the Phillies called upon the Ace of Aces Roy Halladay to get them back to their winning ways. Halladay was impressive as usual, carrying a 2 hit shut out into the ninth inning against a good Washington Nationals club that pounded the Phillies 7-4 the night before.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Halladay. There was the mysterious strike zone that found a way to relocate itself each inning. Halladay also managed to escape the path of a shattered bat that appeared to be headed straight for his face. Roy somehow avoided injury by swatting the bat down with his glove. Halladay wasn’t even fazed, but I was kinda scared for him.
Roy’s only mistakes came in the ninth inning. Halladay admitted that “It was good stuff, just bad location,” after he surrendered a lead off double to Rick Ankiel, and a single to Jayson Werth. With runners on the corners Halladay struck out Adam LaRoche, who had the only two hits off Roy prior to the ninth inning. Then Laynce Nix singled to right and the shut out was over.
This is where the faint of heart changed the channel.
Charlie Manuel jogged out to the mound to feel it out. Manuel chuckled a little before speaking, and Halladay only muttered three words.
“I got ‘em,” Roy said “I got ‘em.”
Roy the surrendered a single that was too deep in the hole for Jimmy to do anything with, and it was now just a one run lead, but when you’re Roy Halladay a one run lead is all you need.
Halladay struck out the next two batters looking, and the ballgame was over.
Roy had all of his pitches working, and the Nationals took notice.
“He is good,” said Jerry Hairston of the Washington Nationals. “I can’t remember the last time I struck out three times in a game. This game is pretty humbling, and definitely, I was humbled tonight.”
I said it last night, and I’ll say it again. You have to give credit to this Nationals team. They are greatly improved, and you can tell that Jayson Werth has had an impact on their clubhouse already.
“Jayson brought that never-say-die mentality,” said Ian Desmond. ”He wants to win. That’s what getting a playoff-caliber free agent does. He comes in here and makes us all believe in ourselves. We have to keep on pushing.”
Tonight Cliff Lee looks to rebound from his last start in Atlanta.
Side Notes -
Raul Ibanez – I’m thinking that Raul is in need of a night off. He has not looked good at the plate recently and could probably use a night off. Raul is 3 for 20 in has last five games, and was 0-4 last night.
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