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Halladay in form as Phillies first to seal playoff spot
Source: Agencies |
September 16, 2011, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
ROY Halladay pitched his first shutout of the season as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Houston Astros 1-0 on Wednesday to become the first team to book a place in the Major League Baseball playoffs.
The red-hot Detroit Tigers could be right behind them after beating the Chicago White Sox for their 12th victory in a row, putting them in position to clinch the American League Central late yesterday.
Halladay (18-5) capped the division title for Philadelphia with another impressive performance as the National League East-leading Phillies snapped a three-game losing streak.
The Phillies needed either a win against the Astros or a St. Louis Cardinals' loss on Wednesday to secure a playoff spot. The Cardinals ended up beating the Pirates 3-2.
Two-time Cy Young Award winner Halladay was delighted to help his team clinch a playoff berth.
"That's the reason you're here," he said.
"We expect to win, and you get converted to that quickly. It's a great mentality to have."
Shane Victorino led off with a double in the first inning and scored the only run on a Placido Polanco single to give Philadelphia control.
Advantage
The Phillies (95-51) increased their advantage in the NL East division to 11 games over the Atlanta Braves (86-64), who have a 4 1/2 game lead in the NL wildcard race.
Division leaders Arizona and Milwaukee both lost on Wednesday but still look good for the playoffs.
The Diamondbacks (87-63) lead the NL West by 7 1/2 games over San Francisco while the Brewers (87-63) are 5 1/2 games clear of St. Louis.
In the AL, the Tigers maintained their momentum with a dramatic 6-5 triumph over the White Sox in 10 innings.
Carlos Guillen broke a 5-5 tie with the game-winning RBI single in the 10th after Detroit erased a 5-2 deficit with three runs in the ninth.
The Tigers (87-62) would clinch their first division title since 1987 if they defeat Oakland and Cleveland loses to Texas.
The New York Yankees missed the chance to build their lead in the AL East, losing 2-1 to the Seattle Mariners on a walk-off home run by Luis Rodriguez in the 12th inning.
The Yankees (90-58) are four games clear of Boston, which lost to Toronto on Wednesday.
The Red Sox (86-62) have a four-game lead on the wildcard spot over Tampa Bay (82-66) and are set to begin a series with the Rays later yesterday.
AL West leader Texas pounded Cleveland 9-1 to keep a three-game lead on the Los Angeles Angels, who were also winners on Wednesday.
The red-hot Detroit Tigers could be right behind them after beating the Chicago White Sox for their 12th victory in a row, putting them in position to clinch the American League Central late yesterday.
Halladay (18-5) capped the division title for Philadelphia with another impressive performance as the National League East-leading Phillies snapped a three-game losing streak.
The Phillies needed either a win against the Astros or a St. Louis Cardinals' loss on Wednesday to secure a playoff spot. The Cardinals ended up beating the Pirates 3-2.
Two-time Cy Young Award winner Halladay was delighted to help his team clinch a playoff berth.
"That's the reason you're here," he said.
"We expect to win, and you get converted to that quickly. It's a great mentality to have."
Shane Victorino led off with a double in the first inning and scored the only run on a Placido Polanco single to give Philadelphia control.
Advantage
The Phillies (95-51) increased their advantage in the NL East division to 11 games over the Atlanta Braves (86-64), who have a 4 1/2 game lead in the NL wildcard race.
Division leaders Arizona and Milwaukee both lost on Wednesday but still look good for the playoffs.
The Diamondbacks (87-63) lead the NL West by 7 1/2 games over San Francisco while the Brewers (87-63) are 5 1/2 games clear of St. Louis.
In the AL, the Tigers maintained their momentum with a dramatic 6-5 triumph over the White Sox in 10 innings.
Carlos Guillen broke a 5-5 tie with the game-winning RBI single in the 10th after Detroit erased a 5-2 deficit with three runs in the ninth.
The Tigers (87-62) would clinch their first division title since 1987 if they defeat Oakland and Cleveland loses to Texas.
The New York Yankees missed the chance to build their lead in the AL East, losing 2-1 to the Seattle Mariners on a walk-off home run by Luis Rodriguez in the 12th inning.
The Yankees (90-58) are four games clear of Boston, which lost to Toronto on Wednesday.
The Red Sox (86-62) have a four-game lead on the wildcard spot over Tampa Bay (82-66) and are set to begin a series with the Rays later yesterday.
AL West leader Texas pounded Cleveland 9-1 to keep a three-game lead on the Los Angeles Angels, who were also winners on Wednesday.
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