In Progress: Roy Halladay Perfect Through Six Innings
For more on today's historic game, check out our Marlins blog at FishStripes and our Phillies blog at The Good Fight.
Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Roy Halladay added another milestone to his already stellar career on Saturday, tossing the second perfect game in Philadelphia Phillies history in a 1-0 victory over the Florida Marlins.
With his 115th pitch of the game, Halladay (7-3) put the finishing touches on his masterpiece by getting pinch-hitter Ronny Paulino to ground out to third, as Juan Castro made the stab to his left, spun and threw out Paulino in plenty of time before the Phillies mobbed their ace at the mound.
The 13-year veteran finished with 11 strikeouts, eight ground ball outs and eight flyouts.
It was the 20th perfect game in major league history and second this season. Oakland's Dallas Bradenaccomplished the feat against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 9. The only other time two perfect games occurred in the same season was when Monte Ward (Providence) and Lee Richmond (Worcester) threw them in 1880.
Oddly enough, Halladay was coming off his worst start with his new team, as he surrendered seven runs -- six earned -- in 5 2/3 innings last Sunday against the Red Sox to drop his second consecutive start.
The 2003 American League Cy Young Award winner quickly rebounded though, joining Jim Bunning as the only Phillies to throw a perfect game. Bunning's came against the New York Mets on June 21, 1964.
The only run for Philadelphia came on an error in the third inning, as Cameron Maybin misplayed Chase Utley's drive to center, allowing Wilson Valdez to score from first. The Phillies have won the first two meetings of this three- game set after dropping five straight, including a three-game shutout sweep at the hands the Mets.
Halladay's counterpart, Josh Johnson (5-2), was on the opposite end of the decision, allowing just one unearned run in seven innings. He was charged with seven hits and a walk to go with six strikeouts for the Marlins, who have dropped four straight.
Valdez singled with one away in the third, and Utley followed with a line drive to center. Maybin came in on the ball before breaking back and tried to make a leaping grab. The ball bounced off the top of his glove and rolled towards the wall, allowing Valdez to score without a play.
That was all Halladay needed, as the Marlins hardly challenged the right- hander throughout the night.
With one out in the sixth, Maybin hit a grounder in the hole between third and short, but Valdez threw out the speedster by a step.
In the seventh, Gaby Sanchez was jammed on a payoff pitch and flew out to left. Halladay next fell behind 3-1 toHanley Ramirez before battling back and freezing last year's National League batting champion with a sizzling cutter.
Halladay made quick work in the eighth, thanks to a nice stop by Castro on a ball hit by Jorge Cantu, and the Marlins sent three pinch-hitters to the plate in the ninth to try to break up the bid.
Halladay lowered his earned-run average to 1.99 on the season. It was his third shutout of the season and 18th of his career...This was the 10th no- hitter in Phillies history and first since Kevin Millwood baffled the Giants on April 27, 2003...Johnson has not allowed an earned run in his last three starts...It's the eighth perfect game in the National League and the first since Randy Johnson had one for Arizona, at Atlanta on May 18, 2004.
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