Halladay Beats Marlins in Possible Last Start in Philly
Weird to think, but it could be true. We could have witnessed the final start by Roy Halladay in Philadelphia as a member of the Phillies. Over six innings, Halladay gave up just one run on four hits as the Phils beat the Marlins, 6-4
Jonathan Papelbon made it extremely interesting in the ninth, allowing one run on three hits.
Halladay’s fastball was around 85-88 most of the evening and if the opposition were a little bit more apt to hit, it may have been a different outcome. He’s just not as sharp as he needs to be if he wants to pitch consistently into the sixth, seventh, or even eighth inning. Halladay walked three and struck out just two.
Think about how weird it would be if Halladay never stepped on a mound as a member of the Phils again. Clearly, his skills are eroding, and have done so rapidly. There’s a chance that the Phillies see something in him this offseason that would move the team to bring him back. But he’ll have to show them that his velocity has increased and leveled off somewhere near 90, and that he can control his pitches well enough. It’s a tough road ahead.
However, we have the good times, too. The no-hitter, the perfect game, the overall awesomeness. So if this is his final start here, it’s been a hell of a run.
As an aside, people hit the ball tonight. Chase Utley went bonkers, going 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI. Jimmy Rollins also finished the night 3-for-4, while Cesar Hernandez and Darin Ruf each had two hits. Carlos Ruiz chipped in with two RBI.
