Roy Halladay wins home debut, improves to 3-0 with Phils

Philadelphia Phillies’ pitcher Roy Halladay in his wind up in the first inning of a baseball game with the Florida Marlins, Friday, April 16, 2010, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

Tom Mihalek

Roy Halladay tossed eight innings of two-run ball in a rain-soaked 8-6 win over the Marlins on Friday night. Halladay threw exactly 100 pitches, striking out four without issuing a walk. The Marlins scored four in the ninth off David Herndon to cut it close, but Ryan Madson was able to come in and secure the final two outs.

Todd Zolecki of MLB.com relays what is perhaps the most odd statistic of the night:

So let’s compare Halladay and Lee after their first three starts with the Phillies.

Lee: 3-0, 1.13 ERA.

Halladay: 3-0, 1.13 ERA.

No joke. They have pitched almost exactly the same. Lee allowed 16 hits, three runs and six walks and struck out 23 in 24 innings. He had one complete game. Halladay allowed 21 hits, three runs and two walks and struck out 21 in 24 innings. He also had one complete game.

It’s safe to say Halladay would have had a second complete game if it wasn’t a rainy night in April. There’s obviously a long way to go, with plenty of variables at play, but Halladay’s win potential in Philadelphia is positively scary.