Halladay excels despite long layoff

CINCINNATI - Few Pennsylvanians this side of Punxsutawney have a stricter routine than Roy Halladay. Every pitch is charted, every workout logged, every day a rhythmic step to the next start. If you made him learn an instrument, he would probably pick the metronome.

So you can imagine Halladay's dismay when pitching coach Rich Dubee approached him on Saturday and told him that the bad weather from Hurricane Irene was arriving early. The veteran righthander sat in the bullpen at Citizens Bank Park for a half-hour hoping for a forecast that never came. For the third time in a week, Mother Nature soaked his best-laid plans.

"It's obviously one of those things you can't control, but you are trying to get into a rhythm if you can," Halladay said last night after he helped lead the Phillies to a 9-0 victory over the Reds. "It makes it difficult. I'm actually looking forward to the amount of games coming up, being able to get on 5 days out there every time and feel like I get myself in a groove and a rhythm."

If last night was any indication, Halladay is determined to make up for lost time. Pitching for the first time since a rain-shortened outing in Washington on Aug. 21, he dominated a powerful Reds lineup for seven innings, allowing two hits and two walks and striking out nine. Although Halladay said he felt the effect of the 8-day layoff - he was originally supposed to pitch on Sunday before the start was moved to Saturday and then finally to last night - few untrained eyes would believe him. Not only did he pick up his 16th win and lower his ERA to 2.47, he hit a three-run double off Bronson Arroyo in a four-run sixth inning that gave the Phillies a 6-0 lead.

Halladay laughed off the double to luck, saying he was "cheating big time." But the Phillies were glad to have it. Ryan Howard hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning, which was later followed by a solo shot from Hunter Pence and a two-run shot from Raul Ibanez, who returned to the lineup after missing a few days with a strained groin, and finally another homer by Howard. All of it combined to give the Phillies their 18th shutout and 85th win of the season. They need to go just 15-16 to win 100 games and 12-19 to equal last year's win total of 97.

While Halladay is looking forward to the final month of the season, which features 31 games in 29 days, the Phillies' coaching staff is not fretting about the extra rest. After 131 games last season, the defending NL Cy Young winner had logged 214 innings, 17 1/3 than he had after last night.

"I felt like the rest could help him, but I didn't know if he had too long a layoff," manager Charlie Manuel said. "He was pretty good. After a couple innings there he started popping the ball better. I liked that."

Even if Halladay logs complete games in each of his five likely remaining starts, he will still finish shy of the 250 2/3 innings he posted during last year's regular season.

For a team that will measure success on what happens in October, that could be a good sign. Last night, it was just one of many.