Jays Get Hand From Halladay’s Arm As Explosive Offense Crushes Seattle
Posted July 26, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Roy Halladay brought a poker face and an unbeatable arm to the mound against Seattle, as Toronto’s team rebounded with a 12-3 laugher against the Mariners.
This one was over early, with the birds taking a 3-0 lead on consecutive doubles by Reed Johnson and Frank Catalanotto in the first and a two run double in the fourth off the bat of Aaron Hill.
And then the offence, already the most potent in baseball, exploded with the kind of run support Halladay would barely need, batting around for four runs in the fifth and chasing starter Gil Meche.
By the time John McDonald hit his first ever grand slam in the ninth, the lights had all but been turned off at Safeco Field.
Johnson, substituting for a back-twinged Vernon Wells, managed his 14th three hit game of the season.
Despite the run support, it was Halladay’s dominance that impressed most on the night. He surrendered just three runs and nine hits over seven to nail down win number 13.
“I was just trying to be aggressive and get quick outs – as much as possible,” he notes.
The Mariners’ manager agrees he achieved that goal – and more.
“It came down to too much Halladay and not enough Meche,” Mike Hargrove shrugs. “Any time you fall behind Roy Halladay three or four runs, you’ve really got an uphill battle on your hands. And it just didn’t get any better.”
Despite the win, the Jays didn’t make any progress in the standings. Both Boston and New York won their games, leaving them 5½ back in the A.L. East chase for first place.
