Return to Dominance: Phils Cruise To Victory

     On a pleasant Monday afternoon in our Nation's Capital, the Nationals were everything but a team worthy of playing with the namesake they hold.

     After a rocky start in the first inning, ace Roy Halladay settled into his grove and continued his dominance in the National League that he had started in the American League years ago. 

     Roy was so accurate and inside the strike zone that as the day progressed, players like first baseman Adam Dunn shouted obscenities when they became strikeout victims. 

     Dunn wasn't the only one that was frustrated.  The entire Nationals team was beside themselves.

     Halladay showed great control and durability as he pitched 7 innings, 6 being scoreless, and allowing only 6 hits, 1 earned run, 2 walks and fanned 9 batters while posting a 1.29 ERA in his first victory as a Fightin'.

     Other bright spots in the game came via the names of Ryan Howard, Placido Polanco and Jimmy Rollins. 

     Howard came to bat 6 times posting his normal numbers of 1 Run, 2 Hits, 2 RBIs with a .333 average and a monster 2-run homer to right.

     Despite the overall great effort by the entire Philadelphia Organization, Polanco and Rollins almost overshadowed Halladay's performance.

     Polanco, batting second in the order, got up 5 times with 1 Run, 3 Hits, 6 RBIs including a grand slam to left center.

     Rollins continues to shine at the leadoff spot with 2 Runs, 2 Hits, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 2 BB and a stolen base.

     Ibanez continues to struggle to see the ball but had a much better performance today than he did in spring training.  All signs are beginning to point to what is hopefully a comeback year for him, after a disappointing 2008 post all-star break.

     The Phils showed Commish Bud Selig, President Barack Obama and the 41,000+ in attendance that the road would be a tough one for the Nationals to deliver anything but a losing record this season.