Roy Halladay returns as Phillies top D-Backs, 9-5

In his first start since May 5th, future Hall of Famer Roy Halladay outperformed most expectations in leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 9-5 victory.

Halladay returned from a 3-month hiatus after shoulder surgery and finished 6 strong innings in his debut. Along the way, the right-hander allowed only 4 hits and 2 walks while surrendering 2 earned runs. He was quoted as saying that he “felt good” throughout the start, and frankly, that assessment was mostly accurate.

The big hurdle for Halladay in his comeback bid has been his velocity, and that still wasn’t creeping above 90 MPH on Sunday. However, if there is any pitcher who could adjust to diminished “stuff”, it is the crafty Halladay, and he flashed that throughout the start.

It would be remiss to not mention John Mayberry Jr. (1-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 runs) and Cody Asche (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI) as offensive stars, but this day and this win belonged to Halladay. At 36 years old, his best days are certainly behind him, but that doesn’t rule out the chance that he could return to prominence, whether in Philadelphia or elsewhere.

The Phillies have a major decision to make regarding Halladay’s future because of the injury and contract issues. If he can show the club (and the league) that he is healthy in the final month, he will immediately become one of the bigger names on the market over the winter.