• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Halladay fires ninth career shutout vs. Mariners

Jul 22, 2007 - 9:53 PM TORONTO (Ticker) -- Roy Halladay had no problem making sure that the Seattle Mariners left town with a whimper.

Halladay recorded his ninth career shutout as the Toronto Blue Jays captured the rubber game against Seattle with an 8-0 victory on Sunday.

The 2003 American League Cy Young Award winner, Halladay (11-4) finished with three hits allowed and one walk against three strikeouts in notching his first shutout since a 4-0 win over the Minnesota Twins on May 29, 2005.

"I felt like I was getting the ball where I wanted to and where I didn't it seemed to go right at guys," Halladay said. "I felt confident with everything I threw; my cutter was working well and I got some first-pitch strikes with my curveball."

The righthander followed up on a 1-0 victory on Saturday, when Josh Towers combined with three relievers on a three-hitter.

Overall, Seattle managed just 12 hits in the three-game series, and has not scored in its last 22 innings.

Halladay, who retired 10 straight batters between the fifth and eighth innings, has not allowed a run in his last 15 frames. He yielded a run in the first of a seven-inning effort against the New York Yankees on Tuesday, but did not figure in the decision of a 3-2 loss.

While Halladay was clicking, the fates were not as kind to Felix Hernandez (6-6), who had a strong start ruined by a couple of mental mistakes and a questionable ball during a five-run fifth inning.

After Gregg Zaun worked a leadoff walk, Royce Clayton reached on a bunt where first base was not covered by the Mariners on a mixup. With Zaun in motion, second baseman Jose Lopez went to cover second while first baseman Richie Sexson charged despite the fact that bunt went toward the mound.

"We had a breakdown," Sexson said. "It looked like a hit and run, but (Clayton) bunted and I have to charge so nobody was able to get to first."

Hernandez intentionally walked Lyle Overbay to load the bases with no outs and went to a 1-2 count on Alex Rios when his fastball just off the outside corner was called a ball by home plate umpire Chad Fairchild.

With Hernandez visibly upset by the lack of a call, third baseman Adrian Beltre and catcher Kenji Johjima came to the mound to try and settle him down.

"I was angry," Hernandez said. "(Beltre and Johjima) came in to settle me down. I lost my focus and that was the wrong thing to do. It was a good pitch but you can do nothing about that."

However, Rios rapped the next pitch through the left side of the infield for a two-run single.

"I think (Hernandez) got a little mad about (the non-call)," Rios said. "It was a pretty good pitch, but I thought it was away. And then he threw me a good pitch to hit and I was able to get a base hit."

Seattle manager John McLaren was then ejected by Fairchild for arguing that close call before Troy Glaus hammered the next pitch for a three-run homer and a 5-0 lead. Although Vernon Wells followed with a double, Hernandez recovered to strike out both Frank Thomas and Aaron Hill.

"(Hernandez) was obviously frustrated, but he was still throwing 98-mph sinkers and 91-mph sliders," Glaus said. "I was just looking for something up in the zone and, at the very least, try to get something into the outfield and score one run."

It was the first career ejection for McLaren in 17 games since taking over for Mike Hargrove on July 2. He has guided the Mariners to a 9-8 record over that span.

"We thought it was a strike," he said. "Of course it was the biggest play of the game. I wasn't pleased about (the call) and I told (Fairchild) I wasn't pleased about it."

The 21-year-old Hernandez finished with six runs and seven hits allowed in six innings. He also struck out seven and walked four.

"(Hernandez) has to learn with experience that if you don't get a pitch or you don't get a call that you've got to focus on the next pitch," McLaren said. "You can't get out of your game because obviously it affected him."

Zaun homered in the sixth inning and Hill added a shot in the eighth for the Blue Jays, who captured their first series since the All-Star break.

Beltre and Johjima both doubled for the Mariners, who did not have a runner reach third base.