News
Halladay continues to impress at Phils camp
Righty has notched eight strikeouts over two starts, five frames
By Todd Zolecki / MLB.com
03/09/10 10:55 PM ET
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The two buses that carried the Phillies from Bright House Field in Clearwater to Champion Stadium left at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday.Roy Halladay was not onboard. He could not wait for the buses to make the 90-minute trek. He wanted to get to the ballpark earlier, so he drove himself and arrived at 2:15 p.m. instead.
"I just can't sit at home on days I pitch," Halladay said during the Phils' 7-4 victory over the Braves. "I get fidgety. My wife can't stand me, so she kicks me out. I try to get here a little earlier just to meander for a while."
Halladay, who will spend that extra time during the season studying a game plan, allowed three hits and struck out five over three scoreless innings against Atlanta. In two Grapefruit League starts, he has allowed five hits and struck out eight over five scoreless innings.
He struck out the side in the first inning, including a nice curveball to get Brian McCann to end the frame. He retired the side in order in the third, striking out Nate McLouth and Martin Prado each for the second time.
"I felt like it got better," he said. "The last inning, I felt like the command was better."
Overall, Halladay threw 51 pitches, 33 for strikes. But he allowed singles to Chipper Jones and Troy Glaus in the first inning, which left him unsatisfied.
Yes, he didn't think he threw particularly well for the first two innings -- and he still looked good, catcher Brian Schneider remarked.
Braves manager Bobby Cox marveled at the two front-door cutters that got Prado.
"He can do it with every pitch," Cox said. "There's a guy that can throw 96 [mph] if he wants to. But he throws 89 to 91 and knows right where it's going."
Todd Zolecki is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
