One of the great side stories to the MLB playoffs this year was Roy Halladay getting his first shot at the postseason after spending 12 years in Toronto. Who could have ever imagined that he would throw a freaking no-hitter in his first career postseason start?
The Phillies Cy Young candidate threw the first playoff no-hitter since Don Larsen’s perfect game for the Yankees in 1956, beating the Reds 4-0 in Game 1 of the NLDS. As if that stat wasn’t impressive enough, the no-no comes four and a half months after he threw a perfect game against the Marlins! To place that in context, only four pitchers have thrown two no-hitters in the same season, and the last was Nolan Ryan who’s now an executive with the Rangers.
Halladay needed only 104 pitches to make history happen. Aside from a walk to Jay Bruce in the 5th, Halladay was perfect facing just 28 batters in the game. He only had three three-ball counts and threw 79 of his 104 pitches for strikes. After the game, Doc described his performance as “surreal,” saying “to be able to go out and have a game like that is a dream come true.” It is a dream come true, and it makes the game so special for the fans to enjoy.
With a no-hitter in his postseason debut, the only question is where does Doc and the Phillies go from here? Anything less than winning the World Series would have to be a disappointment. Good thing they’re our World Series favorite. What an incredible start to the 2010 MLB Playoffs!
