Over his last 20 starts, Roy Halladay has thrown nine CG, 161 IP, walked 32, whiffed 100 and posted a 2.91 ERA ... and is 8-7.

It helps one understand how Bob Gibson could lose nine games with a 1.12 ERA or Dave Stieb could have a league leading ERA (2.48) on a team that won 99 games and only have a 14-13 record.

Best Regards

John

So what you're saying is Halladay doesn't know how to win, and neither did Gibson or Stieb.

Halladay's problem last night was losing focus and not pitching to the score.

If the Jays had Barry Bonds, then maybe they'd score some more runs.

Halladay's problem last night was losing focus and not pitching to the score.

He also may have lacked grit or determination. And/or was insufficiently crafty.

With the score 0-0 in the 9th he should have just gritted his teeth and made a really, really tough face at the scorekeeper, causing him to award one awesomeness point, and the lead, to the Jays. Then he would just have to be crafty to end the inning for the win. Jack Morris could have done it.

If the Jays had Barry Bonds, then maybe they'd score some more runs.

Or Frank Thomas?

You could see that Halladay was getting tired in the last two innings last night, since the hitters started to hit fly balls against him.
If he didn't have that complete game streak going, maybe he would've been removed after putting men on first and second in the ninth.

I doubt it. The Jays didn't even have anyone warming.

Their last hits weren't even that convincing. 2 outs in the ninth, a walk, a bloop from Ramirez (since Vernon was playing so deep to play the XBH), and a single from Youklis that Vernon misplayed and could have gotten a throw out.

Too bad this crappy team can't score when the best pitcher in the league is pitching.

He stayed away from Papi in the 9th after the near-HR and walked him on pitches outside. Bad luck after that: Manny's single is an out in innings 1-8 when the Jays play their standard D, and Youk hit an excellent pitch. Tough luck loss.

Too bad this crappy team can't score when the best pitcher in the league is pitching.

Beckett wasn't on the mound.

Too bad this crappy team can't score when the best pitcher in the league is pitching.


Beckett wasn't on the mound

When Beckett can actually put up 2 productive seasons in a row, then we can talk.

Halladay is obviously the best pitcher in the league now that Santana is with the Mets.

I've watched all these losses, and its really pathetic. If I was him, I would have went into the clubhouse after the game, trashed it, told the position players to clean it up. I've seen too many players not hustling, especially on the back end of DPs (a stat in which they lead the majors with, despite having a reasonably fast team).

What's really frustrating is that despite being 11-16, the Jays are +5 in run differential. Speaks to their pitching more than anything.

CP, Halladay certainly looked angry enough after the winning run scored to do exactly what you suggest. He stalked off the field mouthing a whole bunch of dirty words and slammed his way through the dugout on the way to the clubhouse.

Whether he was angry at himself for giving up the winning run on some bad luck after 2 were out or angry at Wells for botching Youks' single was not made clear.

As for players not hustling, I thought gritty little white dude Eckstein was supposed to lead the way with that? They lied to me!

that's 3 straight excellent performances by boston starting pitchers.

What's really frustrating is that despite being 11-16, the Jays are +5 in run differential. Speaks to their pitching more than anything.

That, and looking at a pythag after 27 games comes with a huge small sample size caveat.

To be a Hall of Famer, he needs to learn to pitch to the score.

I know this is a bit off topic and hurts the Jays even more in terms of run production, but why do the Jays keep putting Eckstein out there for Halladay at SS instead of McDonald. You'd think they would want to use one of the best defensive shortstops in the league when they have a pitcher that pitches to contact as much as Halladay does and also has very high ground ball tendencies.

Or Frank Thomas?

Frank Thomas can't carry Barry Bonds' jock.

The Sox announcers commented several times how Eckstein had nine assists last night. I can't imagine he's undermining Halladay that much. How has he been in other Halladay starts?

When Beckett can actually put up 2 productive seasons in a row, then we can talk.

And when Halliday stops depending on his defense to do so much of the work then we can talk.

And when Halliday stops depending on his defense to do so much of the work then we can talk.

What's wrong with depending on your defense? Strikeouts are facist.

when my cell phone finishes charging, then we can talk

As soon as I finish boning Hannah Montana, then we can talk. I promise.

Frank Thomas can't carry Barry Bonds' jock.

That may be, but they're both a good sight better than DHing Shannon Stewart.

Is someone actually claiming that Beckett is a better pitcher than Halladay?

Give me a break.

He has the POTENTIAL to be, but one good season doesn't do it.

As for the comment about Halladay flipping out in the locker room... I'm not convinced he didn't. Did you SEE him when he stormed off the field?

Honesty, I wouldn't be surprised if I heard he asked for a trade. I really hope he doesn't, but who could blame him?

And when Halliday stops depending on his defense to do so much of the work then we can talk.

We can keep going on with this. Like when Beckett stops depending on his bullpen to do atleast 25% of his job, then we can talk.

I'm not sure if somebody already posted this somewhere, but losing three straight CG's is pretty impressive these days. Last time somebody did it was Randy Johnson in 1999. Remember this sequence of events?

6/25/99: Randy strikes out 14 and keeps the Cards off the board until two walks and a single get a run across in the 9th. Meanwhile, Jose Jimenez no-hits the D-Backs to bring his ERA down to 6.02 (he'd end up at 5-14, 5.85).

6/30/99: Randy strikes out 17 Reds, doesn't walk anybody, and loses 2-0 as Future Pirate Opening Day Starter Ron "Pro" Villone combines with a reliever to one-hit Arizona.

7/5/99: Randy fans another dozen Cardinals, once again allows one scratch run, and unbelievably loses to a Jose Jimenez shutout again, this time a two-hitter.

7/10/99: Clearly tiring, Unit only lasts seven innings and strikes out a mere 11, allowing two runs (one earned). His teammates continue their inexorable arithmetic progression by backing him up with three hits this time against the A's' Tim Hudson, once again sadly not enough to get any runs across.

7/15/99: Mirabile dictu! The Snakes blow right past four and zoom all the way to five hits, incredibly even scoring twice as Johnson K's eight and has the Rangers shut out going into the ninth. Matt Mantei gets the first two hitters... before walking the next three and surrendering a bases-clearing double to Mark McLemore.

7/20/99: Finally deciding that if you want something done right you have to do it yourself, Johnson throws 139 pitches in an eight-hit, 10-strikeout shutout as the Diamondbacks light up Mariners reliever Damaso Marte for six runs and finally get Randy his 10th win. Johnson would finish 17-9 that year and earn his second Cy Young Award.

139 pitches

Obviously his manager should have his children taken away. Look at all the injury problems Johnson has had recently.