"To get a no-hitter in this fashion, in your first postseason game, you've got to put it right up there," Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard said.

Halladay threw 104 pitches, 79 for strikes. This was the first no-hitter against the Reds since 1971, when Philadelphia's Rick Wise beat them by the same 4-0 score.

"It's no fun out there," Reds slugger Joey Votto said. "It's like trying to hit nothing. He's an ace among aces."

Reds shortstop Orlando Cabrera thought Halladay got an assist from home plate umpire John Hirschbeck.

"He was basically getting every pitch," Cabrera told MLB.com. "We had no chance."

Halladay spent 12 seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, far from the postseason. A trade last December brought him to the defending two-time NL champions and gave him this chance.

"This is what you come here for," Halladay said. "It's a good team, they know how to win. ... It's been a great year, a fun year, we obviously have a ways to go."

With a sellout crowd standing in the ninth and chanting "Let's go, Doc!" Halladay got a loud ovation when he jogged to the mound to start the inning.

Ramon Hernandez popped out to second baseman Chase Utley for the first out. Pinch-hitter Miguel Cairo then fouled out to third baseman Wilson Valdez.

Halladay then retired Brandon Phillips on a tapper in front of the plate to end it. Catcher Carlos Ruiz pounced on the ball, getting down on his knee as the ball rolled near Phillips' bat, and made a strong throw for the final out.

"If I was catching, I probably would've picked up the ball and bat and threw them both," Phils manager Charlie Manuel said.

Halladay pumped his fist into his glove as Ruiz rushed to the mound. Just like catcher Yogi Berra did with Larsen, Ruiz started to jump into Halladay's arms. Unlike Berra, the 5-foot-8 Ruiz didn't wrap up his pitcher in a bear hug.

"I felt like we got in a groove early," Halladay said. "Carlos has been great all year, he helps me get into a rhythm early, throwing strikes."

Phillies aces Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels ran out of the dugout side by side to congratulate the other member of Philadelphia's Big 3. Pretty soon, everyone in a Phillies uniform was part of the victory party.

Shortstop Jimmy Rollins made the toughest play to preserve the no-hitter, going deep in the hole and making a strong throw to retire Votto in the fourth.

Pitcher Travis Wood hit a sinking liner to right that Jayson Werth caught in the third. Pinch-hitter Juan Francisco hit a hard grounder up the middle in the sixth, but Rollins scooted over and made it look easy.

There were five no-hitters in the majors this year as pitchers dominated. But five no-hit bids got broken up in the ninth inning, too.

Halladay became the fifth pitcher to throw two no-hitters in the same year. He joined Nolan Ryan (1973), Virgil Trucks (1952), Allie Reynolds (1951) and Johnny Vander Meer (1938).

The last time a pitcher came close to a no-hitter in the postseason was quite a while ago. The Boston Red Sox's Jim Lonborg went 7 2/3 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1967 World Series before Julian Javier broke up it with a double, STATS LLC said.

The Phillies led the majors in wins (97) for the first time in franchise history, captured their fourth consecutive division title and are trying to become the first NL team in 66 years to win three straight pennants.

They are prohibitive favorites in this best-of-five series against the NL Central champion Reds, who are making their first postseason appearance since 1995.

Game 2 is Friday at Philadelphia.

The Reds led the NL in average (.272), homers (188) and runs (790). But they couldn't do anything against Halladay, who won 21 games and is a strong candidate to win his second Cy Young Award.

The 33-year-old Halladay topped the NL in victories and led the majors in innings, shutouts and complete games. He was at the top of his game from the get-go in Game 1.

A determined, intense Halladay got ahead of hitters and worked quickly. He threw first-pitch strikes to 17 of the first 18 batters.

"It was great managing," Manuel joked. "He was very good. He had a tremendous feel. He sold his pitches well."

Halladay even did it at the plate. He ignited a three-run, two-out rally in the second with an RBI single.

On the opposite side, 27-year-old Edinson Volquez looked like a postseason rookie. He never seemed to get comfortable on the mound, taking his time between pitches, tugging at his cap and long dreadlocks and breathing deeply. At one point, Hernandez, from his crouched position behind the plate, motioned for him to calm down.