Shane Loux and Matt Palmer, who have combined for a 4-0 record and 2.49 earned-run average in their last four starts, have given the Angels more than they ever could have expected. But Ortega's start Wednesday was a huge step back for the rotation and could be Ortega's last in the big leagues for a while.
The Angels will probably use Monday's off day to skip Ortega's spot, and Lackey and Santana, who are scheduled to make rehabilitation starts for triple-A Salt Lake this weekend, could be activated late next week.
Ortega, the team's top pitching prospect who was rushed to the big leagues in April because of injuries, walked Marco Scutaro to open the game, gave up a two-run home run to Aaron Hill and a single to Alex Rios.
Ortega got Vernon Wells to ground into a double play, and after Adam Lind doubled and Rolen walked, Overbay flied to right, ending the inning.
But the first four batters of the second inning reached, with Scutaro and Hill driving in runs with singles. Ortega was pulled for Rafael Rodriguez, who gave up a three-run homer to Wells that gave Toronto a 7-0 lead.
Against a lesser pitcher, with the way the Angels have been hitting -- they scored 80 runs in their previous 12 games, an average of 6.7 a game -- perhaps a seven-run deficit was not insurmountable.
But the Angels didn't stand a chance against Halladay. The 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner and five-time All-Star allowed only two runners to reach second base before losing his shutout bid on Jeff Mathis' two-out, RBI single in the eighth.
A two-time 20-game winner, Halladay has gone at least seven innings in each of his seven starts this season.
"I don't like facing Halladay at all," Angels center fielder Torii Hunter said. "That's why they call him Doc, because he performs surgery on hitters. He hits the inside and outside corners, and he gets better with age. If you foul off a pitch down the middle, you've missed your chance."
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mike.digiovanna@latimes.com
