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CINCINNATIIn the end, all that handwringing about Roy Halladay getting too much rest proved to be much ado about nothing.
Halladay was brilliant Tuesday night. He pitched seven shutout innings and chipped in with a three-run double as the Phillies rolled to a 9-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.
Brad Lidge and Mike Schwimer completed the Phils majors-best 18th shutout. After the game, Schwimer was optioned back to Triple A as the team cleared a roster spot for left-handed pinch-hitter John Bowker, who, according to sources, was acquired from Pittsburgh just 24 hours before the deadline for gaining postseason eligibility.
General manager Ruben Amaro Jr.s latest attempt to fortify his roster for the stretch drive and beyond came as his club was playing one of its best games of the season.
Pitching on eight days rest instead of the customary four after a series of rainouts, Halladay dazzled on the mound. He held the Reds to two hits, while striking out nine. At 16-5 with a 2.47 ERA, he is very much in the hunt for his second straight NL Cy Young Award.
If Halladay doesnt win the Cy Young Award, maybe hell take home the Silver Slugger. On second thought, no, he wont, but he sure swung the bat well Tuesday night. He put an end to Bronson Arroyos night with a three-run double down the right-field line in the sixth inning. The RBIs were Halladays first of the season.
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Halladay laughed when he was asked if the extra rest helped his bat speed.
I hit it down the first-base line, he said. It might have helped a little. Otherwise I might have hit it in the stands.
Halladay wasnt the only one to swing a potent bat. Ryan Howard homered twice and Hunter Pence and Raul Ibanez also went deep.
Like Halladay, Ibanez came off a long layoff. He had not started a game since Aug. 21the same day as Halladays previous startdue to a groin injury that required an injection of anti-inflammatory medication.
Ibanez, who has forfeited some of his playing time in left field recently to hot-hitting John Mayberry Jr., showed hes not ready to give up his job. He singled twice and lined a homer into the rightfield seats.
He had a good short swing, manager Charlie Manuel said. Even his outs were hit good. We need that. The more we hit, the better team well be.
Despite the offensive eruption, the Phillies remain a team built on pitching. In the first two games of this series, starters Cole Hamels and Halladay have combined to allow just one run in 13 innings. It gets no easier for the Reds on Wednesday night as they are set to face Cliff Lee, who has allowed just two runs over his last four starts (31 innings).
Halladay might have had a little rust in the first inninghe allowed a single and a walk in the framebut it disappeared quickly and he retired the side in order in the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
Halladay is a creature of routine who likes to throw either in the bullpen or on flat ground every day. Mother Nature took a toll on his routine. He was dressed and ready to pitch before Saturday afternoons game was rained out. When word of the rainout came down, he kept his uniform on and aired out 40 pitches in an indoor bullpen at Citizens Bank Park.
But bullpen sessions, no matter how rigorous, are no substitute for the real thing. Entering Tuesday nights game, Halladay wasnt sure how hed feel. When it was over, he was pleased.
It felt like I hadnt been out there forever, he said. But I felt fresh, real good physically. Rainouts make it difficult to get on a routine. Im looking forward to the amount of games we have 29 in the final 31 days. Im looking forward to getting out there every fifth day, getting into a rhythm and a groove.
Halladay ranks among the league leaders in innings pitched at 196 23. He is 34 years old and is about to cross the 200-inning mark for the sixth straight season and eighth overall. Halladays workload is something that needs to be monitored because the Phillies expect to play an extra month and their ace is vital to their championship chances. Given all this, a few extra days between starts in late August might end up being beneficial to Halladay.
From a physical standpoint, its probably not the worst thing, Halladay said.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com.