No holiday against Halladay
Sat., Sept. 26, 2009
TORONTO – As usual, Roy Halladay gave Toronto fans a performance to remember.
Halladay struck out nine in a seven-hitter, Aaron Hill hit a two-run homer and the Blue Jays beat the Seattle Mariners 5-0 on Friday night.
“It was typical ‘Doc,’ he was lights out,” Hill said.
Halladay turned in a gem in what could be his final home start with the Blue Jays, tying Kansas City’s Zack Greinke for the major league lead with his third shutout. He got a standing ovation from the crowd of 20,668 when he took the mound for the ninth, then tipped his cap as he walked off to even louder cheers after it was done.
“Those are things you take with you, that you’re going to tell your kids about,” Halladay said. “Regardless of what happens this winter, it means a lot to me. To have that many people that supportive and chanting, I think it would mean a lot to anybody.”
The subject of rampant trade speculation leading up to the July 31 deadline, there’s no guarantee that Halladay, a free agent after 2010, will be back with the Blue Jays next season.
Halladay, who has one more start left, said he won’t think about his future until after the season. Halladay (16-10) threw 114 pitches, 81 for strikes, and lowered his ERA to 2.90, third-best in the American League behind Greinke and Seattle’s Felix Hernandez.
Ichiro Suzuki finished 1 for 4, keeping his average at .355, second in the A.L. to Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer.
Seattle rookie Doug Fister (2-4) was perfect until Edwin Encarnacion’s one-out single in the fifth.
Hill hit a two-run drive to left in the sixth for his team-best 34th homer.
Fister, who has lost three straight starts, allowed four runs and seven hits in 62/3 innings.
Blue Jays 5, Mariners 0
| Seattle | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. |
| I.Suzuki rf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .355 |
| Hall rf | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .225 |
| F.Gutierrez cf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .279 |
| Jo.Lopez 2b | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .269 |
| Griffey Jr. dh | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .211 |
| Beltre 3b | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .261 |
| Johjima c | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .246 |
| Carp 1b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .267 |
| Jo.Wilson ss | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .225 |
| M.Saunders lf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .231 |
| Totals | 33 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Toronto | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. |
| J.Bautista rf | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .231 |
| A.Hill 2b | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .287 |
| Lind dh | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .298 |
| V.Wells cf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .264 |
| Encarnacion 3b | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .235 |
| Overbay 1b | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .267 |
| Barajas c | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .231 |
| Snider lf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .235 |
| Jo.McDonald ss | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .246 |
| Totals | 33 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Seattle | 000 | 000 | 000—0 | 7 | 0 |
| Toronto | 000 | 002 | 21x—5 | 9 | 0 |
LOB—Seattle 6, Toronto 5. 2B—Jo.Lopez (39), Johjima 2 (11), Carp (3), Overbay (33), Barajas (18). HR—A.Hill (34), off Fister. RBIs—J.Bautista 2 (28), A.Hill 2 (103), Overbay (59). RLSP—Seattle 5 (Griffey Jr., Jo.Wilson 2, Jo.Lopez, Carp); Toronto 3 (Snider 2, Barajas). GIDP—Jo.Lopez. DP—Toronto 1 (A.Hill, Jo.McDonald, Overbay).
| Seattle | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
| Fister L,2-4 | 6 2/3 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 4.50 |
| Jakubauskas | 1/3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.32 |
| C.Silva | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8.60 |
| Toronto | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
| Halladay W,16-10 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2.90 |
IR-S—Jakubauskas 2-2. WP—Jakubauskas. T—2:11. A—20,668 (49,539).
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