Manuel comments on Halladay's workload

Charlie Manuel's decision to allow Roy Halladay to throw 132 pitches in a complete-game loss to the Pirates on Tuesday prompted some questions about the righthander's workload this season.

He has thrown more pitches and more innings in his first nine starts than in any other season.

Manuel acknowledged that he and pitching coach Rich Dubee need to monitor their usage of Halladay, who is scheduled to start Sunday against the Red Sox.

"His next outing, I don't want to see him throw 125 pitches, because I feel like over the course of a year, it can definitely wear him down," Manuel said.

But Manuel stopped short of saying he would allow long-term concerns about Halladay's freshness for the postseason to dictate his in-game managerial decisions.

"There comes a time when I manage," he said. "There comes a time where I have to manage the way I think is right. That's what I'll do" in Halladay's next start.

Because the way he sees it, getting to the postseason is the Phillies' top goal right now.

"We've got to get there," he said. "My saying every day is we've got to get there . . . I definitely don't panic, but I play everyday to win. You've got to get there. If you don't get there, that's more of an empty feeling."

- David Murphy