Game 159 – Doc wins # 20 in final home game

Congrats go out to Doc Halladay for picking up his 20th win of the year. He did it in fine form going the distance using just 96 pitches. Granted the Yankees had a # of regulars sitting and you could tell the Yankees hitters were being a little more aggressive up there than usual. Halladay gave up 6 hits and walked 1 leading to 2 runs while striking out 5. His lone walk hurt him as it led to the 2nd run. He walked Ransom to start the 5th, who went to 3rd on a Cabrera 1B then scored on a DP ball. Halladay really put it on cruise control after the 5th as he retired the last 13 batters. Halladay recorded 17 of the outs on the ground (5 in the air).

The Blue Jays bats were alive today and made sure Halladay was going to get that 20th win. After leaving the bases loaded in the 2nd, Wells got the Jays going w/a 2-run HR in the 3rd. Wells then followed it up w/a 2-run 1B to cap a 3-run 4th inning and chase Pavano. Snider and Zaun had back-to-back RBI 2B’s in the 5th and Scutaro followed back-to-back BB’s w/an RBI 1B in the 7th to account for the remaining runs. The Jays 8 and 9 hitters, Snider and Zaun, combined to go 5 for 7 w/a BB, driving in 2 and scoring 4. The team went 6 for 13 w/RISP.

This was the last start for Pavano as a Yankee in what has to be one of the worst contracts ever and he didn’t leave a good impression (not like this start was going to change that). The Yankees will no longer have to worry about what body part Pavano has injured now. Mike Wilner has mentioned that Pavano is a guy he would like to see the Jays sign and I agree. You should be able to sign him for a low base salary with some built in incentive bonuses, it is a low risk move. Let’s not forget that Pavano had a decent year and a very good year in the 2 yrs prior to signing w/the Yankees. Those 2 yrs led to him getting the big payday from the Yankees (4 yrs – 40 mill) and along w/Matt Clement’s signing in BOS (I believe 3 yrs – 33 mill, which didn’t work out either) set the new price for future starting pitchers that fit that tier including Burnett, Lilly, and Meche.

Here are the stats:
WG: Halladay (1)