Major League Baseball

Phillies Notebook: Halladay sticking to routine, keeping focus on Phillies

Published Oct. 9, 2010 11:04 a.m. ET

foxsports

As the rest of the baseball-following public reflected on his no-hit performance against the Reds in Game 1 of the National League Division Series, Roy Halladay tried his hardest to abide by the same routine that has guided him through more than a decade of dominance.

He rebuffed offers to appear on various national talk shows, including the "Late Show With David Letterman." He limited his day-after media availability to an appearance on the MLB Network. In short, he acted nothing like a man who wanted to bask in the spotlight that comes with being only the second pitcher in postseason history to throw a no-hitter.

"I think in-season is tough," Halladay said yesterday before Game 2, "but I think especially right now, I would like to keep the focus as much on the team as possible. I don't want to stray too far from my routine, also. I want to avoid making this a distraction and becoming too much of a story. I think that us being in the postseason is enough excitement, and obviously needs to be the focus. I'm trying to do the best I can to keep it that way."

Halladay did not do anything special to celebrate his is achievement. He was back at Citizens Bank Park at 10 o'clock Thursday morning, roughly 16 hours after he limited the Reds to one fifth-inning walk while striking out eight in the Phillies' 4-0 victory.

Halladay is next scheduled to pitch in Game 4, which, if necessary, will take place Monday in Cincinnati.

"Like I said, it's the team that is the priority right now," said Halladay, who tossed the no-hitter in his first-ever postseason start. "I think that there's definitely a part where you enjoy the moment, you enjoy what's going on, but you always have to keep in mind the bigger picture, and that's moving farther ahead in the postseason. I definitely enjoyed it. You know, I enjoyed it that night. I enjoyed every bit of it. It was very special for me. But I'm very conscious of making sure that I keep my nose to the grindstone."

Polanco returnsThird baseman Placido Polanco was back in the lineup after missing Game 1 with back soreness.

"He's feeling very good," manager Charlie Manuel said before the start of last night's game, which the Phillies won, 7-4. "He said he feels a lot better. I took that as he's going to play the game just like he always has."

Polanco's return prompted Manuel to hit Jimmy Rollins at No. 6 and Raul Ibanez at No. 7, a combination he used twice during the regular season.

Rollins had hit leadoff in the Phillies' 33 previous playoff games dating back to 2007. But Shane Victorino thrived in the role this season, hitting .276 with a .345 on-base percentage, .810 on-base plus slugging percentage and 12 home runs in 82 starts at the top of the order. Rollins, meanwhile, struggled to find his offensive rhythm while missing significant time with a combination of lower-body injuries, the most recent a hamstring strain that sidelined him for about 3 weeks in September.

"I wanted a couple of righthanded hitters behind [Ryan] Howard in case they brought in the lefty," Manuel said, referring to the switch-hitting Rollins and No. 5 hitter Jayson Werth. "We can get some balance. Ibanez has been hitting the second half of the season, and especially hitting lefthanders pretty good. I liked that lineup the other day, and I like it now because of the fact they've got depth and lefthanders in the bullpen."

PhillersReds shortstop Orlando Cabrera left the game after aggravating an injury to his left side . . . Last night's attendance was 46,511 . . . FoxSports.com reported yesterday that Phillies adviser Pat Gillick has turned down an interview for the Mets' GM vacancy. Ken Rosenthal reported that Gillick wants to be a GM again, but prefers to be on the West Coast . . . With their 4-0 victory Wednesday over the Reds, the Phillies won their seventh consecutive postseason Game 1, tying the NL record held by the Braves (1995-97) . . . The Phillies will work out this evening at Great American Ball Park, where Cole Hamels (12-11, 3.06) is scheduled to face Reds righty Johnny Cueto (12-7, 3.64) in Game 3 tomorrow . . . Last night marked the 32nd consecutive postseason game started together by Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Carlos Ruiz and Chase Utley. It is the longest such streak of consecutive starts for one team by five players in major league postseason history, according to Elias Sports Bureau.