Rays see Halladay as the real deal

ST. PETERSBURG - Blue Jays winning pitcher Roy Halladay has an impressive list of accomplishments. He leads the majors in wins (16) and road wins (10). He leads the AL in starts (26). He's tied for the team's record winning streak (15, with Roger Clemens). But before Wednesday, he never had won at Tropicana Field.

"He had his stuff with him today," Rays centerfielder Carl Crawford said. "He was looking pretty good. I had never faced him before. Pretty much all the hype was true."

Halladay pitched a complete game, giving up nine hits, three runs and no walks. He has walked just three in his last 612/3 innings.

"The control was there," Halladay said.

Manager Carlos Tosca thought his curve was excellent.

"He's an animal. I can't say enough things about him," Tosca said.

The Blue Jays are 20-6 when he starts.

"He's always going to be good," rightfielder Bobby Kielty said. "You're not on defense very long."

Halladay gave up two runs in the fourth after he balked throwing to first. Damian Rolls hit the next pitch for a double, scoring Travis Lee. "It was a situation where I think I should have settled down and done a better job there," Halladay said. "You have to overcome it."

CREDIT IS DUE: The Rays are 9-3 against the Blue Jays this season..

"Tampa's a hot team," Tosca said.

The loss snapped the six-game win streak in the series.

"It was important. They're a tough team for us," Halladay said. "They're pesky ... just not a fun team to pitch to."

HEALING HEEL: Crawford has been bothered off and on all season by a tender left heel. And when he rounded first awkwardly in the third, the tenderness was on again.

"I hurt it early in the season and it never has really completely healed," Crawford said. "Whenever I land on it funny, it bothers me. After a little bit, it goes away."

Crawford remained in the game and expects to be in tonight's lineup.

THE CAT'S MEOW: Toronto's Josh Phelps joined the Yankees' Jason Giambi as the only visiting player to hit one of the Tropicana Field catwalks in back-to-back games.

Phelps hit the C-ring, about 110 feet above the field for the fifth fair ball to hit a catwalk this season.

ONE MORE BEEF: The Jays might have taken two out of three against the Rays if not for a close call at second Tuesday night in the extra-inning game. The Rays' Marlon Anderson was called safe at second on a close play by umpire Lance Barksdale and later tied the score with two outs to send the game to extra innings.

"I don't really want to get into debating an umpire's call," Jays pitcher Mark Hendrickson said. "But I think just from the single fact that he didn't slide, to me, that should be a reason to call him out. We'll just leave it at that."

Tosca was asked if umpire calls even out over the course of the season.

"No," he said, "'I don't think they even out. They haven't evened out for us yet or we'd be right behind the best team in baseball."

CENTRAL COMMAND: A group of Tampa Bay players and coaches will visit Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base on Friday morning.

They will visit the Joint Operations (war room), the Logistics Readiness Center (food and fuel supply), tour the Command Group and meet Lt. Gen. Mike DeLong, deputy commander for Central Command.