Sweet 16

Halladay goes distance to become first 16-game winner

Roy Halladay leads the AL in wins, winning percentage and innings pitched. AP

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Roy Halladay got right back to winning.

Halladay became the first 16-game winner in the majors, pitching his third complete game of the season as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 7-3 Wednesday.

Halladay (16-3) gave up nine hits, struck out six and walked none. The right-hander lost his previous start 5-0 to Anaheim last Friday, snapping a personal 15-game winning streak that tied the team record set by Roger Clemens in 1998 and was one short of the AL mark.

"I don't know what Cy Young looked like, but he ain't got nothing on Doc," Blue Jays manager Carlos Tosca said.

Halladay threw 108 pitches in his eighth career complete game.

"It's been a lot of fun," Halladay said. "I think it's coincidental more than anything, just with the team scoring a lot of runs for me. It's nice."

The Blue Jays got a scare in the first when Halladay was hit near the right ankle by Aubrey Huff's comebacker.

"He said it wasn't bothering him, but we watched him real close to make sure that he wasn't altering his mechanics," Tosca said. "He's an animal. I can't say enough things about him."

Halladay said his leg was never a problem.

"It wasn't pain," he said. "It felt like muscle fatigue. It was fine. It went away."

Dave Berg and Bobby Kielty each hit a two-run homer for the Blue Jays, who avoided a three-game sweep. Josh Phelps also connected.

"He's pretty much one of the studs in the league," Berg said of Halladay. "Every time he pitches you feel like there's a good chance of you winning."

Berg's homer gave Toronto a 3-2 lead in the fifth. Kielty's shot made it 5-2 one inning later.

Tampa Bay starter Joe Kennedy (3-9) allowed five runs and seven hits over 5 2-3 innings. He entered 6-0 against the Blue Jays.

Kennedy has struggled since returning from a left shoulder injury on July 9. In his past six stars, the left-hander is 0-4 and has allowed 28 runs over 28 2-3 innings.

Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella said he is considering whether to drop Kennedy from the rotation. He was the team's opening-day starter.

"I'm going to give it some thought here over the next day or two," Piniella said. "If he does go in the bullpen, it's not a demotion. It's to help us and at the same time to get himself back on track."

Kennedy is winless since May 13.

"I can pitch," Kennedy said. "I'm just not getting the results now. It's just a matter of time."

Damian Rolls and Javier Valentin had run-scoring doubles for the Devil Rays, who had won their previous six games against Toronto.

Tampa Bay lost for just the third time in its last nine games.

Vernon Wells singled in the fourth with one out for the Blue Jays' first hit off Kennedy. Wells scored all the way from first after Tampa Bay second baseman Marlon Anderson misplayed Carlos Delgado's grounder for an error.

Wells never slowed down and beat center fielder Carl Crawford's throw to the plate.

RBI doubles by Rolls and Valentin in the bottom half put the Devil Rays up 2-1.

Phelps extended the Blue Jays' lead to 6-2 with a solo homer off Brandon Backe in the seventh. Tampa Bay got the run back in the bottom half on Crawford's RBI single.

Eric Hinske drew a bases-loaded walk for Toronto in the ninth.

Notes: Halladay is 10-2 on the road. The 10 wins are the most in the majors. ... The Blue Jays had gone a season-high five games without a home run. Toronto has 140 homers this season. ... It was Berg's first homer since May 31. ... Blue Jays SS Mike Bordick singled in the ninth to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games. It's the longest active streak in the AL. ... Rolls extended his career-best hitting streak to 11 games with an infield single in the second.

 

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