LAKELAND, Fla. During the regular season, Roy Halladay might have been perturbed.
But after 14 seasons and 352 big-league starts, he knows the realities of spring training. He knows every pitch is not going to be executed perfectly.
Come April 5, Halladay might be upset if he gives up two home runs to a journeyman non-roster player with all of 10 big-league home runs.
But on March 9, Halladay dealt with it just fine.
Its all part of the process of getting ready for the season.
I feel like Ive still got a long ways to go to where I want to be, Halladay said after his second spring outing Friday, a three-inning effort in a 7-5 win over the Detroit Tigers. I threw some pitches that were really good and some that were poor.
The really good: Halladay struck out four batters and used his full arsenal in doing it. One strikeout came on a sinker, one on a cutter, one on a changeup and one on a curveball.
The poor: He allowed a pair of home runs to left-handed hitting Eric Patterson. Patterson hit a first-pitch cutter for a solo shot in the first inning. He jumped on a changeup and drove it out to right with a man on base in the third.
He did all right, manager Charlie Manuel said of Halladay. Except for that one guy.
For Halladay, the changeup is a feel pitch and he had trouble with it Friday. It was hot and humid in Tigertown and Halladay said his changeup felt like a spitball.
Nonetheless, Halladay said he is right about where he usually is early in spring training. He said his mechanics were smoother Friday than they were in his first outing.
At times everything is really good, he said. Its just getting that consistency.
Halladay worked for the first time this spring with his regular batterymate, Carlos Ruiz.
Ruiz is best known for his superb handling of the Phillies pitching staff, but he sparked the teams comeback with a three-run homer to left in the sixth inning. The Phillies rallied for four in the seventh to take the lead.
The Phillies host the Orioles on Saturday afternoon. Joe Blanton starts against lefty Brian Matusz.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com
