Roy Halladay

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Lore & Background

Halladay's path to perfection began with a rocky start in his second year, posting a 10.64 ERA over 50 innings, but he rebounded to average 17 wins per season over twelve years with the Toronto Blue Jays, earning six All-Star selections and a Cy Young Award in 2003. After being traded following the 2009 season, his first start with Philadelphia on Opening Day saw him drive in his second career RBI while securing a win. By April 21, he had already secured four wins, including a shutout against the Atlanta Braves. In the 2010 season leading up to the perfect game, he also recorded a complete game victory against the Houston Astros and a second shutout against division rival New York Mets on May 1.

In Their Own Story

The game began at 7:13 p.m. before a crowd of 25,086 at Sun Life Stadium. Halladay's first pitch, a 92 m.p.h. fastball for a called strike to Chris Coghlan, came at 7:17 p.m. He threw 19 pitches in the first inning, his most of the night, finishing with 115 total pitches and 72 strikes. Despite being known as a ground ball pitcher, he struck out 11 batters, four using his sinker. In the bottom of the ninth, pinch hitter Mike Lamb flied out deep to Shane Victorino; Halladay thought he had lost the perfect game until Victorino flagged the ball down in center field, noting later, "I was going to do whatever it took." For the second out, Wes Helms struck out looking. The final play saw Ronny Paulino hit a hard chopper to third baseman Juan Castro, who reached wide to his left, spun, and threw to first base to preserve the perfect game.

Reader's Guide

Roy Halladay was traded to the Phillies for prospects after the 2009 season. In this specific game against the Florida Marlins, he worked through seven three-ball counts and six full counts, crediting his sinker's effectiveness. He only shook off catcher Carlos Ruiz once during the entire contest. The opposing pitcher, Josh Johnson, allowed seven hits, one walk, and an unearned run in seven innings; that unearned run scored when Wilson Valdez crossed home after Chase Utley's line drive bounced off Cameron Maybin's glove. Halladay became the 10th pitcher in Phillies history to throw a no-hitter, with Jim Bunning's 1964 perfect game being the only other instance for the franchise.

Did You Know?

• The twenty days between Dallas Braden's perfect game and Halladay's was the shortest span between two perfect games since 1880.
• Halladay threw his first pitch at 7:17 p.m., but the game began at 7:13 p.m. with pre-game ceremonies.
• Television announcer Tom McCarthy waited until there was one out remaining before mentioning a 'perfect game' to avoid jinxing it, though he had mentioned it was a no-hitter earlier.
• Radio play-by-play announcer Scott Franzke did not subscribe to the superstition and called it a perfect game as the final batter approached.
• Many Phillies fans missed the perfect game live because it aired simultaneously with Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.