Roy Halladay Is Strikeout Artist Against Angels.

Updated 1:15 AM PST, Wed, Jun 3, 2009

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As he matures on the mound, Roy Halladay is turning into more of a strikeout pitcher. And he seemed to mature a lot against the Angels.

Halladay struck out a career-high 14 to win his major league-leading ninth game, Alex Rios backed him with a home run and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Los Angeles 6-4 on Tuesday night.

Halladay (9-1) threw his second complete game of the season, allowing four runs, no walks and seven hits to win his sixth straight decision. Working on an extra day of rest, he threw a career-high 133 pitches.

"He was a good as we've seen a pitcher in years, on both sides of the plate with good movement," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Angels outfielder Torii Hunter called Halladay "the best there is in the game right now" and said the man known as Doc lived up to his nickname.

"He was a doctor today," Hunter said. "You have got to give it to him. He had surgery on all of us."

Halladay's 14 strikeouts were the most by a Blue Jays pitcher since Roger Clemens struck out 15 against Baltimore on Sept. 21, 1998.

Halladay faced just one batter over the minimum through six innings but ran into trouble in the seventh, when Bobby Abreu and Vladimir Guerrero led off with singles. After Halladay loaded the bases with a four-pitch walk to Hunter, Kendry Morales followed with an RBI single. Guerrero scored on a wild pitch before Maicer Izturis and Mike Napoli both hit sacrifice flies.

"Then he just turned off the faucet again and finished the game," Scioscia said. "He does so many things well out there on mound and finished his own ball game. That was impressive."

Angels left-hander Joe Saunders acknowledged feeling "tentative" about facing Halladay.

"No one says it, you just kind of get that feeling as a pitcher," Saunders said. "You know, 'I'm facing Roy Halladay today, if I give up a run I might lose.' It puts added pressure on me and added pressure on the team to do whatever they can and for me to do whatever I can."

The Blue Jays chased Saunders with a three-run sixth. Adam Lind singled, stole second and scored when Gary Matthews misplayed Scott Rolen's sharp single to left, with Rolen taking second on the play. Millar hit an RBI double, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Rod Barajas' single.