Phillies’ Halladay cruises to win over Astros

HOUSTON - Roy Halladay had done this 49 times before, so Charlie Manuel, and Rich Dubee never considered picking up the bullpen phone. Not even to have someone warm up just in case.

Neither of them talked to Halladay once during the game.

They knew.

"He smelled the finish," Manuel said.

Halladay pitched his first complete game for the Phillies in a 2-1 victory over Houston on Sunday. It was the 150th victory of Halladay's career and his 50th career complete game.

The Phillies (5-1) come home Monday to Citizens Bank Park, off to their best start since 1993.

And their fifth win may have been the most impressive yet. For the first time all season, the offense couldn't mount at least 10 hits. The Phils needed pitching, and Halladay delivered a clinic in finishing games.

Halladay allowed one unearned run on seven hits. He struck out eight and walked none. His 2010 ERA is 0.56. Welcome to the National League.

As is the case in nearly every start he makes, Halladay put himself in the position to finish the game. He threw 111 pitches, 83 for strikes. After the third inning, he didn't throw more than 14 pitches in any inning. He worked out of jams in the sixth and seventh innings and retired nine batters in a row to end the game.

Yeah, Halladay said, he smelled it.

"The closer you get, the more fun it is," said Halladay, the active major-league leader in complete games. "You'd like to have it a little easier in the sixth and seventh, but once you get out of that trouble and you know you're getting close, that's when you want to be out there."

In the sixth, with the Phillies ahead, 2-0, Houston (0-6) loaded the bases with no one out on a single, a bunt single and an error by Halladay on another bunt. Cory Sullivan hit a fastball right at Jimmy Rollins, who stepped on second and threw out Sullivan at first. A run scored, but Halladay escaped on a pop out by Carlos Lee.

"I try to keep my focus on making the one pitch," Halladay said. "You can never really control where the ball is hit. I'm just trying to make a quality pitch and let the results take care of themselves."

In the seventh, Houston had runners at second and third with one out but Halladay retired J.R. Towles on a comebacker and struck out Jason Michaels.

"He made some quality pitches and he did exactly what he was supposed to do," Manuel said.

Jimmy Rollins homered to lead off the game - the 34th time he's done that in his career. Raul Ibanez scored the other Phillies' run on a Carlos Ruiz groundout.

Halladay made it stand on his own. He's done it so many times before, but it isn't on his mind during games.

"You just go until they tell you you're done," Halladay said.

The 111th pitch Halladay threw was a 94 m.p.h. fastball. Pedro Feliz popped it up and Chase Utley settled underneath the ball. Halladay turned to catcher Carlos Ruiz and went to shake his hand.

He was done.