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NYM@PHI: Halladay fans seven in seven scoreless

PHILADELPHIA -- Three major concerns heading into the 2011 season for the Phillies included middle relief, the lineup without Chase Utley and defense.

Those concerns don't seem all that major now -- not after a stellar game on Thursday.

Wilson Valdez had a career-high four hits and three RBIs and Placido Polanco singled, doubled and drove in four runs to lead the Phillies to an 11-0 victory over the Mets before a sellout crowd of 45,468 at Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies played flawless defense, took two of three from their National League East rival and finished the season-opening homestand with a 5-1 record.

"It's better than I expected," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said of his offense, which pounded out 16 hits. "At the same time, we've played six games. We've got to keep going."

Roy Halladay, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, scattered six hits over seven scoreless innings for his first victory this season. Halladay threw 113 pitches, 74 for strikes, and lowered his ERA to 0.69.

Danys Baez and David Herndon each tossed a scoreless inning in relief.

"I felt good out there," Halladay said. "The weather didn't bother me. I felt good out of the stretch. I think the important thing is to continue to go out and play the games. Whether we're 0-5 or 5-1, it shouldn't affect how you play. I don't think anyone is too caught up in it. We have a tough stretch of games coming up."

Halladay allowed the leadoff man to reach base in each of the first four innings, but he managed to work out of trouble every time. The biggest threat came in the third, when the Mets loaded the bases with one out. But Halladay responded by striking out David Wright and getting Ike Davis to ground out to second.

"I was just trying to make good pitches," Halladay said. "The result was good. Really, I would have taken a ground ball to get a double play and get out of there. I was just trying to make pitches down in the zone and be aggressive."

"I don't think that he was as sharp as he probably wanted to be today, but that's what makes him great," Wright said about Halladay. "He goes out there and still finds a way to put up zeroes. I can't remember the last time we faced him where we got him in so many three-ball counts, and he still found a way to work his way out of jams and pitch deep into the ballgame."

With a 2-0 lead, the Phillies broke out for four runs in the fourth against Mets starter Jonathon Niese.

Ben Francisco singled, Raul Ibanez was hit by a pitch and Carlos Ruiz ripped an RBI single to left, scoring Francisco. Valdez followed with a double to right, scoring Ibanez for a 4-0 lead.

After Halladay and Shane Victorino struck out, Polanco laced a two-run single to right for a 6-0 advantage.

Valdez doubled to right field in the fifth inning to knock in two more runs, though he was thrown out at third trying to stretch the hit into a triple.

In addition to setting a career high with four hits, Valdez scored a career-best three runs and tied his career high with two doubles, his second time doing that.

"I'm pretty happy," said Valdez, who improved his average to .429. "We're playing the game the right way. We're scoring runs and playing good defense, too. We have to go out and try to get wins and do the right things."

Ibanez homered for the first time this season in the seventh, a two-run shot to right field off Tim Byrdak that gave the Phillies a commanding 10-0 lead.

Every player in Philadelphia's starting lineup had at least one hit.

"We have a capable lineup," Ibanez said. "When we're firing on all cylinders, we're tough. We're doing a great job of stringing together good at-bats."

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