"After a year and a half, the luster has dimmed.

There is no added excitement as players arrive in the clubhouse, just the same steady approach that Roy Halladay demands of himself.

During Halladay's warm-up pitches before the game, there is no anticipation of greatness. There is an expectation.

When it's over, the Phillies do not file back to the locker room in awe of what they witnessed. There is only the question of whether their performance was enough to support Halladay's.

"That's a game you're not supposed to lose, no matter who you're playing,'' Jimmy Rollins said. "So you find a way to get it done.''

Halladay was brilliant as usual Sunday, pitching an eight-hit complete game. And yes, the Phillies' bats did just enough to support the cause in a 3-1 win over Oakland.

After a year and a half with Halladay in a Phillies uniform, the formula is a familiar one.

Sunday's complete game was Halladay's fifth of the season, 14th as a Phillie and 63rd of his career.

The victory is Halladay's 10th this season, the second National League pitcher to reach double-digit wins.

The eight hits Oakland mustered were a testament to their good fortune. Two came on infield singles. Three came on pop flies that found a home between defenders.

One of those pop flies fell just out of reach for Rollins, who charged to reach it but pulled up short to avoid a collision with second baseman Wilson Valdez. The result was the lone run Halladay allowed.

By then, Rollins had already ensured Halladay of a win.

His leadoff single sparked a two-run first inning, and with Halladay on the mound, that's usually enough."