By FRANK WARD
DailyPhiladelphian.com Editor

Relax, Philadelphia.

Yes, Roy Halladay had a sub-Halladay outing five days after throwing 132 pitches in a complete game loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Yes, the Phillies ace allowed six runs in 5.2 innings against an average Boston Red Sox team.

Yes, the Phillies got spanked 8-3 by a 43-year-old knuckleballer.

Relax.

First, it’s just May 23 and there is plenty of baseball left. Second, Halladay wasn’t winning every game this year no matter how much we wanted a perfect season. This is just part of the cycle of 162-game season.

Roy Halladay's pitch count is not to blame for Phillies 8-3 loss to Red Sox on Sunday. Instead, Philly fans need to look at the Little Big Red Machine's bats.

The problem is not Halladay’s crazy pitch count. He’s done this throughout his career. He’s a horse like a Curt Schilling and will never give up the ball with a game on the line. That’s not his style.

The problem is the Phillies bats. Getting one hit on Saturday and following up with just five hits in eight innings against Tim Wakefield will not win games.

Why Charlie Manual gave Placido Polanco off on Sunday is beyond me. With Jimmy Rollins already out, can you afford to play Dobbs over Polanco.

Moreover, the Phillies leadoff hitter has to get more than one hit in his last eight at bats. Shane Victorino needs to get his bat going and quickly. Again, it’s just part of the cycle of a full baseball season and Victorino and the rest of the lineup will put runs on the board. They’ll still win the NL East.

In the meantime, people need to not overblow the Halladay pitch count controversy that’s sure to infiltrate the airwaves the next few days.