As the year comes to a close it’s time to look back at some of the top moments from the Philadelphia Phillies 2010 season. While the team came short of their ultimate goal of winning a World Series championship, there were still several great memories from the past year. It’s time to look back on the top moments of 2010 leading up to the number one memory which will be unveiled on New Years Eve.
#23: Doc’s Home Debut – April 16th
The crowd of 45,245 fans at Citizens Bank Park had waited an entire offseason for this moment. The new ace of the Phillies, Roy Halladay, was finally making his home debut. Doc didn’t disappoint.
Roy Halladay was dominant in his Phillies home debut
Halladay was brilliant once again on a rainy Friday evening as the Phillies held off a late rally from the Florida Marlins and won 8-6. He allowed 2 runs on 8 hits while striking out 4 over 8 innings on the mound. With the weather conditions worsening as the night progressed, Halladay continued to work quickly and aggressively.
“Everything went faster because the rain was coming and the weather was real bad,” said Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz. “I said, ‘We’ve got to pick it up.'”
Halladay was dominant through the first 7 innings but after a long bottom half of the 7th and a delay as the grounds crew attempted to prepare the field before the top of the 8th, he struggled allowing 3 hits and a run in the 8th.
“I wasn’t as efficient, but at that point, you have a good lead and you’re just trying to be aggressive,” Halladay said.
Charlie Manuel decided to pull Halladay after 100 pitches and 8 innings of work and turned things over to his bullpen with an 8-2 lead.
Not even the rain could stop Halladay
“He wanted to go back,” said Manuel. “But I wasn’t going to send him back this early in the season and the way the game had gone.”
While the game had gone very well up until that point, things became dicey in the top half of the 9th. Right-hander David Herndon allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, including three slow-rolling infield singles.
“We did some things wrong there as far as covering the bag and going to get those slow balls,” said Manuel. “Polanco did a good job coming in on those balls, but we can get off the mound a little bit better.”
Suddenly the tying run was at the plate and the Phillies were forced to bring Ryan Madson into the game for his 3rd save of the season.
Chase Utley hit his National League-leading sixth homer of the season and Placido Polanco added his second long ball of the year. Juan Castro, who replaced the injured Jimmy Rollins at shortstop, added three RBIs.
Through three starts on the season, Halladay was 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA. Halladay’s start to his Phillies career matched the start former ace Cliff Lee had in his first three appearances with the Phillies during the 2009 season.
With the victory the Phillies moved to 8-2 on the season. However the rain soaked, dreary evening was all about the Phillies new ace making his home debut and the city of Philadelphia welcoming him with open arms. It was the start of a very special season to come for Halladay and the City of Brotherly Love.
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