Halladay Is First to Win 20 Games

Roy Halladay was at a loss to explain how it felt to be a 20-game winner.

“I can’t tell you yet,” he said.

“It’s hard to tell after just happening. Maybe it’s something that really sinks in in the off-season. But I enjoyed it.”

Halladay became the first 20-game winner in the majors this season, pitching a five-hitter that led the Toronto Blue Jays over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 3-1, Thursday.

Halladay (20-6) has seven complete games this year, including his last three starts.

Roger Clemens was the last Blue Jay pitcher with three consecutive complete games, doing it in August 1998.

Halladay struck out three, walked two and needed only 93 pitches to win. He is Toronto’s first 20-game winner since David Wells went 20-8 in 2000.

Halladay went 19-7 last season. He made his major league debut in 1998 with Toronto and, after struggles left him back in Class A in 2001, has bounced back to become an ace.