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TORONTO – As he matures on the mound, Roy Halladay is turning into more of a
strikeout pitcher.
Halladay struck out a career-high 14 to win his major league-leading ninth game,
Alex Rios backed him with a home run and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Los
Angeles Angels 6-4 on Tuesday night.
Now 32 and in his 12th major league season, Halladay said he's becoming "more
crafty."
"We're doing different things now, kind of throwing everything to both sides
which at times will give you a lot more takes and swings and misses," Halladay
said. "That probably has more to do with it than anything.
"Stuff-wise I still feel good but being able to do different things and kind of
change the way you pitch is essential if you're going to stay around a long
time," Halladay added.
Halladay (9-1) threw his second complete game of the season, allowing four runs,
no walks and seven hits to win his sixth straight decision. Working on an extra
day of rest, he threw a career-high 133 pitches.
"He was a good as we've seen a pitcher in years, on both sides of the plate with
good movement," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.
Angels outfielder Torii Hunter called Halladay "the best there is in the game
right now" and said the man known as Doc lived up to his nickname.
"He was a doctor today," Hunter said. "You have got to give it to him. He had
surgery on all of us."
Halladay's 14 strikeouts were the most by a Blue Jays pitcher since Roger
Clemens struck out 15 against Baltimore on Sept. 21, 1998.
The right-hander, whose only defeat this season was an April 21 loss to Texas,
moved ahead of Kansas City's Zack Greinke for the major league lead in wins.
Halladay faced just one batter over the minimum through six innings but ran into
trouble in the seventh, when Bobby Abreu and Vladimir Guerrero led off with
singles. After Halladay loaded the bases with a four-pitch walk to Hunter,
Kendry Morales followed with an RBI single. Guerrero scored on a wild pitch
before Maicer Izturis and Mike Napoli both hit sacrifice flies.
"Then he just turned off the faucet again and finished the game," Scioscia said.
"He does so many things well out there on mound and finished his own ball game.
That was impressive."
Angels left-hander Joe Saunders acknowledged feeling "tentative" about facing
Halladay.
"No one says it, you just kind of get that feeling as a pitcher," Saunders said.
"You know, 'I'm facing Roy Halladay today, if I give up a run I might lose.' It
puts added pressure on me and added pressure on the team to do whatever they can
and for me to do whatever I can."
Jose Bautista gave Toronto a 1-0 lead with an RBI triple in the second, and the
Blue Jays added two more in the third against Saunders (6-4). Rios led off with
his seventh homer and, two outs later, Scott Rolen doubled and scored on Kevin
Millar's single.
The Blue Jays chased Saunders with a four-run sixth. Adam Lind singled, stole
second and scored when Gary Matthews misplayed Scott Rolen's sharp single to
left, with Rolen taking second on the play. Millar hit an RBI double, took third
on a wild pitch and scored on Rod Barajas' single.
Rich Thompson came on for Saunders and walked Bautista, but got out of it when
Marco Scutaro flied out and Aaron Hill struck out.
Saunders, who has lost three of his past four starts, allowed six runs and nine
hits in 5 1-3 innings. He walked none and struck out four.
Scutaro was hitless in four at-bats, ending his streak of seven straight
multi-hit games.
Notes: Following the game, Toronto optioned RHP Brian Wolfe to Triple-A Las
Vegas and promoted RHP Dirk Hayhurst from Triple-A. ... It was the seventh 10
strikeout game of Halladay's career. ... Angels RHP Kelvim Escobar (shoulder)
pitched five innings for Triple-A Salt Lake on Monday and will throw a bullpen
in Toronto on Wednesday. If that goes well, Escobar will start for the Angels in
Detroit on Saturday, his first appearance since 2007. |
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