In spring training, Roy Halladay talked about his dream of pitching in the postseason. His dream was a nightmare for the Reds.
Halladay became just the second pitcher to throw a no-hitter in a playoff game, blanking the Cincinnati Reds 4-0 yesterday in Game 1 of the NLDS.
The robotic right-hander was perfect, save a fifth inning walk to Jay Bruce, and pounded the plate with 79 strikes on 104 pitches.
“He was tremendous,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “Great command. Absolutely unreal. I felt he used all of his pitches pretty good.”
Halladay acknowledged the significance of his accomplishment, but noted that it takes a back seat to his ultimate goal of winning a World Series.
“It was one of those special things that you’ll always remember,” Halladay said. “But the playoffs take priority. We’re one game up. We’ve got to win two more.”
If the Phillies’ offense generates runs for Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels like they did for Halladay, it could be a short series. The Phillies gave Halladay ample support by scoring all four runs in the first two innings.
Shane Victorino led the attack with a double, a single and a pair of RBIs. Halladay also drove in a run with a single.
“That made it fun for me,” Halladay said.
