When you’re having trouble scoring runs, it’s a good idea to try to prevent as many as possible.  It’s also a good idea to have Roy Halladay on the mound.  The Phillies had both of those things going for them tonight and they were able to beat the Braves 2-0 to stop a 3 game losing streak.  Halladay was brilliant, tossing a 5 hit, complete game shutout.  He struck out 7 and walked just one.  Jayson Werth led another meager offensive effort for the Phillies with 2 doubles.  He and Raul Ibanez drove in a run a piece.  The win improved the Phillies’ record to 9-5 for the young season.  While I wipe the Halladay-induced drool off my chin and change my shirt, here are a few thoughts on tonight’s game:

• The story of the game (non-Halladay edition) was the stellar defense the Phillies played tonight.  Shane started it off with a home run robbing grab of a Troy Glaus drive to center in the 2nd inning.  Juan Castro made a great play on a ball up the middle in the 5th and Ryan Howard made an uncomfortably awesome stretch at first to complete the play.  In the 7th, with the bases loaded (the one time Halladay was seriously challenged) and 1 out, Yunel Escobar hit a hard smash up that middle that Chase Utley was able to corral and flip to Castro to start the inning ending double play.  And last but not least, Ryan Howard made a nice diving grab and flip to Halladay covering first to begin the 9th inning.  Some fine work all around for our heroes.
• I don’t feel similarly about the bullpen (getting the night off tonight), but I’m not worried about the offense at all.  Sure, they’ve only scored 6 runs in their last 4 games, but this is kind of how it goes with this team.  We’ve seen it for a few years now.  They are getting guys in scoring position, they just aren’t coming up with the timely hits to drive them in.  It might be nice to see them run a little bit more and try to make something happen on the bases, but there really haven’t been a ton of opportunities that made sense to do so.
• Placido Polanco left the game after the 6th inning.  He got hit by a Tim Hudson pitch in the first.  Preliminary reports are that it’s just a bruise and he’ll be alright after a day or two.  Let’s hope so.  That’d be a tough loss for a team that is already pretty banged up.
• I don’t know if I’m late to the party on this or early, but Sam Perlozzo isn’t a good 3rd base coach.
• Roy Halladay: Stopper.  That is all.