Roy Halladay Throws Seven Scoreless Innings Against His Former Team, Phillies Beat Blue Jays 9-0

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Jun 26, 2010

PHILADELPHIA — Roy Halladay treated it like just another game and pitched the way he usually does.

Halladay threw seven scoreless innings in his first start against his former team, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-0 Friday night in a road game at their own ballpark.

The series was moved from Toronto to Philadelphia because of the G20 Summit, but the Blue Jays wore white and batted second.

Halladay (9-6) allowed six hits and struck out four to snap a personal three-game losing streak. Jose Contreras and David Herndon finished the seven-hitter.

"I did the best I could to take emotions out of it and go out and pitch," Halladay said. "It's something you look back on down the road."

Ross Gload tied a career-high with four RBIs and Shane Victorino homered, helping the Phillies win their fourth straight.

Blue Jays starter Jesse Litsch (0-2) allowed six runs and seven hits in four-plus innings. The right-hander made his second start since having Tommy John surgery last June.

The designated hitter was used just as it would've been at Toronto's Rogers Centre, and Blue Jays batters even had their "walk-up" music played when they came to the plate. But they still used the visitors' clubhouse and were booed by the sellout crowd.

Commissioner Bud Selig shifted the series last month because of security issues for the G20 Summit. World leaders are gathering this weekend at a convention center near the Toronto ballpark.

"We don't sleep in our own beds, but we'll deal with it," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said. "Besides, we like this ballpark."

Halladay is glad he got this start out of the way and can spend the next two days catching up with his old teammates.

"I have a couple days to see some of the guys and say hi to them," he said.

The two-time NL champion Phillies are 8-3 since a 5-14 skid dropped them into third place in the NL East.

Toronto has lost four of five.

Halladay downplayed the significance of facing the Blue Jays, but it was clear this wasn't just any game for the six-time All-Star.

"Roy is Roy," Toronto's Aaron Hill said. "He doesn't surprise me with anything. He's been doing it for a while."

Halladay won the 2003 AL Cy Young Award and went 148-76 with a 3.43 ERA in 12 seasons with the Blue Jays. The Phillies pursued him aggressively last July, but ended up getting Cliff Lee. They finally acquired Halladay last December in a blockbuster trade hours before sending Lee to Seattle.

Halladay hadn't received much run support recently. The Phillies have scored nine runs in his six losses.

They gave him plenty in this one.

"When you get a decent lead, you can pitch to contact, be aggressive and not be so cautious," Halladay said. "It definitely helps."

Chase Utley lined a two-run single with the bases loaded to chase Litsch in the fifth. David Purcey came in and allowed an RBI single to Ryan Howard. Gload then cleared the bases with a two-out double off center fielder Vernon Wells' glove that put the Phillies ahead 8-0.

Gload drove in the first run with an RBI single in the second that scored Jayson Werth, who tripled.

Toronto had runners at second and third with one out in the fifth, but Halladay struck out John Buck and retired Jarrett Hoffpauir on a grounder. He lowered his ERA to 2.29.

Notes
Jimmy Rollins
walked four times, tying a career-high. … The Phillies promoted top prospect Domonic Brown to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Brown, a 22-year-old outfielder, hit .318 with 15 homers and 47 RBIs in 65 games in Double-A. … Evan Turner, selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft Thursday night, threw out the first pitch to the Phillie Phanatic. … Halladay had never lost four straight starts. He's lost three in a row four times. … Gload last had four RBIs against Baltimore on July 28, 2006 while a member of the Chicago White Sox.

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