Halladay makes history
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Roy Halladay made history on Wednesday night, throwing a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds, a feat which has only been accomplished once before in the postseason in Major League Baseball history. Making Halladay’s
domination all the more impressive is the fact that it was his first ever play-off appearance.
Halladay was simply sensational on Wednesday night, leaving nothing to the imagination, as he ploughed through the Cincinnati line-up, finishing only one walk away from a perfect game. The veterans line was incredible as he launched eight strike outs on
the night and tossed 104 pitches, 79 strikes for strikes, even driving in an RBI with a base hit and scoring a run.
Halladay pitched a gem, but also received a great deal of help from his teammates, who were equally as impressive in the field. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins made a tremendous play deep in the gap to throw out slugger Joey Votto at first base. In addition, catcher
Carlos Ruiz made a sound play for the final out of the game, pouncing on a ball in front of the plate and throwing out Brandon Phillips from his knees.
Moreover, it is not as though Halladay threw a no-hitter against a poor club, or a club that is not strong offensively. The Reds were the top-hitting team in the NL for the season. Phillips is a speed demon, who is efficient at the plate, while Votto is
a National League Most Valuable Player candidate. Nevertheless, Halladay made it look easy throughout his nine innings of work.
The veteran spent 12 years in Toronto with the Blue Jays before asking for a trade to the Phillies in the off-season in the hopes of winning a World Series. This season Halladay proved his worth, throwing nine complete games, including a perfect game, winning
21 and staying among the best in the League in ever statistical category, all of which will likely earn him his second Cy Young Award.
Despite the fact that Halladay made history on Wednesday the soft spoken all-star seemed as surprised as the rest of the baseball world, stating. “It’s surreal, it really is. I just wanted to pitch here, to pitch in the post-season. To go out and have a
game like that, it’s a dream come true.”
The Phillies will take on the Reds in game two action on Friday in Philadelphia. The match-up will feature Roy Oswalt on the mound for the Phillies and Bronson Arroyo throwing for the Reds.
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