Finally.
When Roy Halladay finished 2011 with 188 wins, everyone figured the Philadelphia Phillies ace would get number 200 during the 2012 season, but, well…he fell one victory short. So, Opening Day 2013 rolls around and Halladay, who had started ten previous season openers is the date for him to reach the milestone, right?
Wrong.
After two disastrous outings, "Doc" looked like the Halladay of old when he took the mound Sunday against the Miami Marlins and, you guessed it, got the victory. In doing so, he became the first Phillies pitcher to get his 200th victory since Steve Carlton 35 years ago.
"I had been putting a lot of pressure on myself," Halladay told reporters following the game. "I want to win a World Series, and that's why I'm here. That's why I want to play. The personal milestones are great. My wife, my family…they are all excited about it. But the ultimate goal is to get to the playoffs and win a World Series, and when that happens, I'm going to go in the back room and yell."
Halladay, who scattered five hits across eight innings got some help from pinch-hitter Laynce Nix who hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth.
"That's really cool for me to be a part of that," Nix said. "I've been on lots of losses when I've faced Doc. It's good to be on a positive side in one of these wins. This guy has been great his whole career, and it's really cool to be a part of that."
The 35-year-old Halladay sits second among active pitchers in wins, following just Andy Pettitte. The New York Yankees hurler has 247 victories.
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