Phillies Nation

Halladay didn't have it on a hot night in Chi-town. (Photo: US Presswire)

A hot, steamy evening was unbearable even for the machine-like Roy Halladay. The Phillies ace, working for the first time since his two inning stint in the All Star Game last Tuesday, left the game in the fifth inning of the Phillies 6-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs due to heat exhaustion. With a game time temperature pushing 90 degrees, along with suffocating humidity, Halladay was unable to settle in on an uncomfortable night.

Doc was huffing and puffing, especially after an opening-inning home run served to Aramis Ramirez, and 31-pitch third inning in which the Cubs scored twice more to take a 3-0 lead. Something you’ll never, ever see is Halladay taking himself out of a game, and unfortunately he did just that tonight.

He would finish just four innings, giving up three runs on seven hits with a walk and a lone strikeout. You could tell his control was lacking early – perhaps he was winded even before first pitch. And by leaving early, Halladay’s remarkable streak of 63 straight road starts with six or more innings was broken.

In between innings, Phillies trainer Mark Anderson attempted to cool Halladay down with wet towels, even going so far as to change his jersey. While he was on the mound, Chase Utley tried taking his time by fixing a shoelace that he untied himself. None of it worked as the energy and life had been sucked out of the Phillies starter.

According to multiple reports from the beat corps, Halladay stated through Phillies PR that he will “absolutely” make his next start. David Hale of the Wilmington News Journal, part of the traveling press, says Halladay was dizzy and dehydrated throughout the game. He was unavailable for comment after.

There wasn’t much energy evident from the rest of the team either.

Jimmy Rollins supplied the lone run, launching a fourth inning home run off Cubs starter Rodrigo Lopez. The former Phillie, Lopez stifled his old team as only average pitchers can. Instead of letting Lopez beat himself, on countless occasions the Phils put together awful at-bats, making him look like an all star.

A few times, the Phillies looked to have some life, but couldn’t put anything together.

It ended in the ninth with two on and two out as Carlos Marmol would strike out John Mayberry Jr. to end it. Mayberry did have the only other extra-base hit – two on the night, the only Phillie with multiple hits -  so he continues to rake, which is a good sign.

Ryan Howard’s struggles continue, especially with two strikes in the count. In the sixth inning, with a chance to do some damage, Howard was jammed on a 3-2, two-seam fastball that he popped up to shallow center field for the second out of the inning. The Phillies would not score, stranding runners at first and second as Raul Ibanez struck out on a check swing on a ball way up and out of the zone.

Howard’s inability to come through with a two strikes has been an ugly theme for him this year. The slugger has a .168 average and a .513 OPS with two strikes on him, a sign that he is pressing when up against the wall.

On this night, the blame could not be placed entirely on the slugging clean-up hitter, but on the entire offense. For some God-awful reason, crappy pitchers make this offense look like garbage. With Halladay feeling the same, it was over quickly. The heat will not dissipate, so they’d better drink plenty of fluids and make sure they are hydrated come Tuesday night.

VICTORINO BACK TOMORROW

-Shane Victorino will return tomorrow, Pete Orr will be optioned back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.