Halladay Tosses 7 Scoreless Innings Vs. Former Team, Phillies Beat Blue Jays 9-0

Roy Halladay pitched 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.

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 centre near the Toronto ballpark.

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

Halladay won the 2003 AL Cy Young Award and went 148-76 with a 3.43 earned-run average 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.

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 centre-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.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today