By the numbers: Tall task for Halladay
Roy Halladay will face a challenge from the Braves who have been successful against him in the past in his seasonal debut on Wednesday night.
By the numbers: Tall task for Halladay
Bob Brookover, Inquirer Baseball Columnist
ATLANTA -- Most of the focus Wednesday night at Turner Field will be on Roy Halladay’s seasonal debut following his turbulent spring training.
It’s quite a challenge for the two-time Cy Young Award winner, especially when you consider the success the Braves had against him last season and some of the individual numbers Atlanta’s core players have posted against Halladay.
Halladay was 0-2 with an 11.21 ERA in four starts against the Braves last season and the two players who gave him the most difficulty were Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward, who were a combined 7-for-17 with three home runs and 11 RBIs. Dan Uggla, meanwhile, has terrific career numbers against Halladay: .324 (11-for-34) with a double, triple, three home runs and seven RBIs.
The two newcomers to the Braves’ lineup – B.J. and Justin Upton – also have had success against Halladay. B.J. is a career .357 hitter (15-for-42) with four doubles and a home run against Halladay, and Justin has two singles and a walk in seven plate appearances.
Combined, the Braves’ likely two through six hitters against Halladay Wednesday night are hitting .317 (38-for-120) with six doubles, a triple, eight home runs and 25 RBIs.
On the flip side, Braves lefty Paul Maholm has a career 4-2 record with a 5.16 ERA in nine starts against the Phillies. That includes a 1-0 record and 8.64 ERA in two starts against the Phillies last season.
Chase Utley, with a .333 average (6-for-18), including three doubles and a home run, is the Phillies’ hitter who has had the most success against Maholm. Ryan Howard is 5-for-21 with a double, six RBIs and six strikeouts against the lefty. Humberto Quintero (6-for-17) and Jimmy Rollins (5-for-22 with three walks) are the only other Phillies who have faced Maholm at least 10 times.
John Mayberry Jr. and Michael Young are both 2-for-2 against Maholm and Young has a home run against him.
Courtesy of BaseballReference.com, you can examine Maholm’s career numbers against the Phillies’ hitters and Halladay’s career numbers against the Braves’ hitters.
Looking at those numbers, it may have been wise to drop Halladay back 2 spots to the Friday home opener. We shall see what he does tonight...— DixonBunz
Base on those numbers...maybe he will get sick again....but I'm pulling for ol' Roy to pitch into the 6th...— WhiteBear- More of the "living in the past" syndrome, eh?
GOOD GRIEF!— BEMiller
