Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Roy Halladay reminded the Toronto Blue Jays just what they were missing, pitching seven innings of shutout ball in Philadelphia's 9-0 victory at Citizens Bank Park.
Halladay Blanks Former Team As Phillies Shutout Blue Jays, 9-0
Halladay (9-6) was scheduled to make a homecoming of sorts during this three- game interleague series, which was originally slated to take place in Toronto. However, security concerns due to the presence of world leaders for the G20 Summit forced Major League Baseball to shift the set to Philadelphia, where the Jays still batted last and the designated hitter was used.
Facing his former teammates for the first time, Halladay scattered six hits and a walk while striking out four as he snapped a personal three-start skid.
Ross Gload, in a rare start at first base with Ryan Howard slated as the DH, went 3-for-4 with four RBI for the Phils, who were coming off a three-game sweep of the Indians. Shane Victorino hit a solo homer and drove in two for the victors.
Jesse Litsch (0-2), in his third start since coming off the 60-day disabled list, was roughed up for six runs on seven hits and four walks in four-plus innings for Toronto, which has dropped four of its last five.
Jayson Werth scored in the second and fourth inning for Philadelphia, first tripling off the wall in right-center and coming in on Gload's two-out, opposite-field single, then singling with one away, moving to third on a Raul Ibanez base hit and making it 2-0 on a Victorino groundout.
The game was broken open during the Phillies' six-run fifth. The first three hitters reached base and Chase Utley drove in two with a single in front of Vernon Wells in center.
Howard then greeted David Purcey with an RBI base hit, and Werth walked to load the bases. After two outs were recorded, Gload drove one that hit off the heel of Wells' glove on the warning track in right-center, clearing the bases for a healthy 8-0 advantage.
Victorino hit a leadoff blast against Brian Tallet in the eighth to account for the final score.
Jose Contreras and David Herndon each pitched a scoreless inning of relief to complete the shutout behind Halladay.
The Philadelphia 76ers' Evan Turner, the second overall pick in Thursday's NBA Draft, threw out the ceremonial first pitch...Halladay is the 27th different pitcher since 1980 to make at least 250 starts for one club and then face that team...Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins tied a career-high with four walks...Werth went 2-for-3 with two walks and scored three times...Lyle Overbay had two of Toronto's seven hits...The Blue Jays had won their previous five games in Philadelphia.
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