Longoria spoils Halladay's big night
Evan Longoria sure knows how to spoil a going-away party.
Longoria's two-run bloop double in the 10th inning off reliever Scott Downs gave the Tampa Bay Rays a 4-2 win Friday, ruining a stellar effort by Roy Halladay in what may have been his final home start as a Toronto Blue Jay.
Halladay, who's been the subject of rampant trade rumours leading up to the July 31 deadline, pitched nine innings for the second straight outing, limiting the reigning American League champions to one earned run on four hits while ringing up 10 strikeouts.
Halladay, though, was matched by Tampa's Matt Garza, who also went nine innings while allowing five hits and fanning nine.
"Coming up on the wrong end of it was hard, but it was electric," Halladay said after getting a no-decision in front of 24,000-plus appreciative fans to remain at 11-3 on the year. "It was a fun place to be tonight."
Halladay's future has been the hottest topic in baseball for weeks — ever since Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said he would listen to offers for his 32-year-old ace, who can become a free agent after next season and plans to test the market.
Mum's the word
Seems these days, everyone wants to talk about where Halladay might end up. Everyone, that is, except Ricciardi.
The Blue Jays GM brushed off reporters hopeful for an update during batting practice before Friday's game, telling the expectant throng, "I'm not talking about Halladay. We're done talking about it."
Still, judging by the large media contingent on hand at the Rogers Centre, interest in the Halladay trade talk shows no signs of fading before the July 31 deadline. Baseball commissioner Bud Selig even weighed in Friday.
"I think if [Halladay] gets traded, he's going to wind up in the National League," Selig told the Mad Dog Radio show on SIRIUS XM Radio.
Several contenders — including Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and the New York Mets — are rumoured to be interested. But Ricciardi said this week he would "have to be wowed" to make a move before the July 31 trade deadline, or before his self-imposed cutoff of July 28.
Staying in Toronto?
Halladay, who's slated to make $15.75 million US in 2010, also must approve any potential deal because he holds a no-trade clause. Ricciardi said he received a list of acceptable destinations from Halladay earlier this year.
Halladay predicted after Friday's game that he'll still be a Blue Jay when the deadline passes.
"Right now, I think I will be here," Halladay said. "I've never felt like there's been a big press on being moved or wanting to be moved."
"If there was an urgency to be somewhere else, and an urgency from the team to have me somewhere else, I think it would be different. I just don't get that feeling."
Halladay said his decision to not seek an extension with the Jays doesn't mean he wants out of Toronto. Rather, he wants to ensure he's playing for a championship contender come 2011.
"Knowing that window is getting shorter to have a chance to win, I want to make that decision knowing everything that's out there and not having to predict the future," he said.
Halladay is scheduled to start once more before the deadline — in Seattle on Wednesday.
Garza not to be outdone
The Rays, who fell victim to Mark Buehrle's perfect game on Thursday in Chicago, weren't interested in playing the props for another stellar pitching performance. Tampa nixed any notions of another perfecto in the first inning when Longoria drew a walk to halt Halladay's streak of 18 innings without issuing a free pass.
Halladay would end up granting three walks on the night, matching a season high for the ultra-accurate righty.
The Rays got to Halladay in the third. Jason Bartlett drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a double to right-centre by B.J. Upton. Following a pass ball charged to catcher Rod Barajas, both men would score on sacrifice flies — the first by Carl Crawford and the next by Longoria.
Toronto struck back in the bottom of the inning, with Rios playing the catalyst as he reached base on an infield single and moved to second when Longoria's throw to first missed the mark. Two outs later, Marco Scutaro singled home Rios, then scored himself on Aaron Hill's double.
When the Rays returned to bat, Halladay took over, retiring the side in order in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh. But Garza was up to the challenge, allowing just one baserunner over that span.
Halladay's run of 14 straight batters retired when he coughed up a one-out double to Bartlett in the eight. Halladay, though, got out of the jam by getting Upton to line out to centre and striking out Crawford on a weak swing to end the inning.
True to form, Garza followed suit in the bottom of the inning. After giving up a leadoff single to Barajas, Garza got off scot-free when Inglett — in his first game since being recalled from the minors on Thursday — popped up his bunt to the pitcher, who went to first to double off pinch runner John MacDonald.
Longoria walked to lead off the ninth before Halladay caught the next two batters looking to reach double digits in strikeouts. A flare by Pat Burrell moved Longoria to third, but Halladay induced an inning-ending groundout and received an ovation from the home crowd as he strode off the field for perhaps the final time as a Jay.
Not to be outdone, Garza went out in style by striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings.
"You don't see that very often any more," said Rays manager Joe Maddon. "Both guys going nine innings and pitching out of tough situations and still having their best stuff in the ninth inning."
Downs walked two batters in the 10th before Longoria dropped one in front of a diving Joe Inglett in left-field, bringing Upton and Crawford around with the go-ahead runs.
Rays reliever J.P. Howell worked a perfect 10th, striking out two before getting Alex Rios to line out to second to end the game.