Phils get things started for NL in All-Star Game win

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PHOENIXRoy Halladay doesnt smile often around the ballpark. The super-intense Phillies pitcher goes to work to do just that. He is serious and businesslike. He saves his smiles for special occasions.

Like this week.

Halladay smiled from the time he and fellow Phillies pitchers Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels touched down in the desert Sunday night in a private jet generously funded by Hamels. Life is good for Halladay. Hes the ace of the staff on the best team in baseball. His compass is pointed where hes always wanted to gothe World Seriesand if he gets there he and his teammates will enjoy home-field advantage thanks to the National Leagues 5-1 over the American League in the All-Star Game on Tuesday night.

Its been a great experience coming here with those guys, Halladay said of his two rotation-mates. Ive really enjoyed it. Its been a great couple of days.

For Halladay, the experience was made all that much better by the NLs victory and his performance Tuesday night.

The 34-year-old right-hander made his second All-Star start and pitched two perfect innings while keeping his pitch count to an economical 19, a number that surely pleased Phillies manager Charlie Manuel and pitching coach Rich Dubee. Halladay leads the NL with 143 13 innings pitched and Manuel and Dubee are responsible for making sure their horse has plenty of giddy-up left for a possible run through October.

It was a lot of fun, Halladay said after coming out of the game. It was a tremendous honor for me, and I was happy to keep it as short as possible.

Its an important game with the home field possibly coming into play. You want to try to be a part in getting that for your side.

Halladay was followed in the game by Lee. The left-hander had a quick third inning before giving up a solo home run to Bostons Adrian Gonzalez in the fourth. Lee wasnt on the hook long. Prince Fielder belted a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning off losing pitcher C.J. Wilson and the NL never relinquished the lead. Fielder was named MVP of the game. Washington reliever Tyler Clippard was the winning pitcher.

Lee pitched 1 23 innings and threw 25 pitches.

I felt fine, he said. I just made a mistake to Gonzalez. But for Fielder to be able to respond like that was huge.

The importance of landing home-field advantage in the World Series was not lost on Lee.

Its huge for whoever gets there, he said. Hopefully we are able to keep things where they are and get home-field advantage for the Phillies.

Hamels did not pitch. He was selected to the NL team but was ineligible to pitch because he started on Sunday. Third baseman Placido Polanco and outfielder Shane Victorino were also on the NL team. Both sat out with injuries.

For Halladay, this All-Star start was more enjoyable than his first when he was with Toronto in 2009. He started that game for the AL and allowed three runs in two innings. That outing came just as the Blue Jays were beginning to entertain trade offers for Halladay. The trade talk and speculation was a distraction for the pitcher. He smiled even less than normal that week.

Its fun to be able to come in and talk about good stuff and enjoy it and not talk about uncertain futures, Halladay said.

Halladay studies the oppositions lineup and reviews his game plan with catcher Carlos Ruiz when he makes a start for the Phillies. Before this start, he did less homework and spoke only briefly with his batterymate, Atlantas Brian McCann.

Coming in with a new catcher you try to keep it as simple as you can and come up with a plan thats not too overwhelming, Halladay said. Keep it simple and go out and go after guys.

I figured a lot of guys would be swinging early so if we made decent pitches hopefully wed have some quick at-bats and thats fortunately what we got.

Halladay got through the first inning on nine pitches. In the second inning, he retired home run king Jose Bautista on one pitch. He ended his two-inning stint by retiring Adrian Beltre on a long fly ball to right. Fourteen of his 19 pitches were strikes.

I made good pitches when I needed toand one here or there that I got away with, Halladay said.

Halladay is not sure when he will make his next start for the Phillies.

The sooner the better, he said.

It probably will not come in New York this weekend. It is likely that Dubee will hold him out until Monday or Tuesday in Chicago so he can get some rest for a second-half run.

Ill talk to Rich in next couple of days and go from there, Halladay said. I dont feel like this was anything too strenuous. I just dont want to cost myself a start at the end of the year by being pushed back, but those are the decisions that Rich makes. Hes always been very good about looking out for our best interests.

Lee could pitch against the Mets on regular rest on Sunday. Vance Worley and Hamels are scheduled to pitch Friday and Saturday, respectively.

The Phillies World-Series-or-bust season resumes on Friday night. If it ends up where they hope it does, the Fall Classic will open in Philadelphia.

E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com

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