The Puzzling Case of Marco Estrada

Over an 11-start span beginning with a nine-run shellacking in Texas in May of 2007, Roy Halladay pitched to a 6.35 ERA. Over that span he gave up 92 hits in 66.2 innings, while striking out just 37.

I still remember being at the third game of that stretch vividly. Halladay had given up nine in Texas, eight more (seven earned) in his next start against Boston, but seemed to have righted the ship, twirling seven innings of six-hit shutout ball against the White Sox. Then: kablammo! He imploded again, lasting just 3.1 innings against the Rays (then still called the Devil Rays), giving up eight runs (seven earned) again, surrendering 12 hits to just 23 batters faced.

Fans streamed to the exits, and I ended up sneaking down into preposterously good seats for the rest of the game—which was a huge stroke of luck, as the Jays came back to win with an incredible six-run ninth inning that ended with Tim Corcoran (the Rays’ fourth pitcher of the frame) walking Aaron Hill with the bases loaded to score Matt Stairs as the winning run.

I wrote about the crazy win but also something else that happened that day: the fact that Halladay got booed.