
Ace lefthander Cole Hamels needed just 97 pitches on Thursday to make a 3 run lead stand up while retiring 12 of the last 13 Dodgers he faced. The Phillies offense scored just enough runs as Hamels spread out 5 Dodger hits in completing a shut out of the Dodgers by a 3-0 score as the Phillies win streak reached 7 games.
With the win, the Phils lead over the 2nd place Mets in the NL East swelled to 4 full games as the Mets lost again Thursday, being swept decisively as Pittsburgh pounded Mike Pelfrey and reliever J.J. Putz.
Cole Hamels, who won both of his starts against the Dodgers in last season’s NLCS including a 5-1 decision game 5 in L.A. which clinched the Phillies first NL Pennant since 1993, had easily his finest outing of 2009 and the finest of successive fine performances by Phils starters during their 7 game winning streak. It was Hamels’ 3rd career shutout, his 5th career complete game and the first this season by a Phillies’ starter.
The AP recap for Yahoo sports caught Hamels’ thoughts on his outing Thursday against the Dodgers and notes some statistical and trivia info on Hamels:
For those wondering what the 25-year-old left-hander could possibly do for an encore this season, this was a good start.
“That’s always something that kind of gets in your mind,” said Hamels, 4-0 with a 2.84 ERA over his last seven outings. “I mean, you don’t have the type of time off to really gather your thoughts and get prepared for another season. I had a little bump in the road with the elbow soreness, and that kind of delayed some things. But I’m ready to go now.”
Hamels (4-2) threw 97 pitches, retiring 18 of his last 20 batters and allowing only two runners as far as second base—one of them on defensive indifference in the ninth.
“Sometimes I’ll have a lot of strikeouts and sometimes I won’t. But I don’t want to be the big strikeout guy because it’s hard on you and that really pushes up your pitch count,” Hamels said. “My past three or four games I’ve been going 110 pitches and only getting through the sixth. So pitch efficiency is something I’ve been trying to work on.”
In his May 14 start against the Dodgers at Philadelphia, Hamels gave up two runs in seven innings and settled for a no-decision in the Phillies’ 5-3 loss.
Hamels has not thrown a wild pitch in 344 2-3 innings since July 14, 2007, against St. Louis, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
For 3 innings, the game was a classic duel between two fine lefthanders, with Clayton Kershaw actually getting the better of the early going retiring the first 9 Phillies he faced before 2nd baseman Chase Utley led off the fourth inning lining a full-count pitch for a double to rightfield. Center- fielder Jayson Werth then grounded out to shortstop moving Utley to 3rd base. 1st baseman Ryan Howard then sacrificed Utley in with the 1st Phillies run by lofting a sacrifice fly to centerfield.
In the sixth inning, leftfielder Raul Ibanez followed a single and a walk by lining a run-scoring double to left centerfield — 2-0 Phillies as Kershaw was replaced after 5 1/3 innings by the 1st of 4 Dodger relievers. Kershaw threw 105 pitches in a quality outing while giving up 2 runs on 4 hits, walking 3 and striking out 5. It was his 5th loss vs 3 wins. Jayson Werth added the 3rd Phillies run with a 2 out RBI single to centerfield in the seventh inning,
Regular starting centerfielder Shane Victorino remained out of the lineup with a strain of his left hip. Therefore Jayson Werth moved over from rightfield to center and utilitiy man Eric Bruntlett took up Werth’s regular rightfield post.
MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki posted this report on the Flyin’ Hawaiian”:
Shane Victorino said he is fine, even though he isn’t completely fine.
He wasn’t in the lineup on Thursday against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium because he strained his left hip rounding first base in the first inning on Wednesday against the Padres at PETCO Park. Victorino took batting practice before the game and said he could pinch-hit if needed.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said Victorino is day-to-day, which is good, because they need bats on the bench. Because the Phillies are carrying 13 pitchers, they have just four players on the bench.
Victorino seems confident the injury will not linger.
“That’s why I did what I did,” he said of leaving the game in the sixth inning on Wednesday.
Victorino also said he has had soreness on the right side of his lower back for much of the season.
“A little sore, but nothing that I really have to worry about,” he said. “I had a problem on the right side. Now all of a sudden my left side.”
For all of the scores of Thursday’s games, click here.
On Friday, another couple of lefthanders oppose each other as 46 year old veteran Jamie Moyer hopes to duplicate his previoous fine outing while facing Eric Milton.
On Saturday, Joe Blanton is opposed by Hiroki Kuroda.
For all of Friday’s and Saturday’s games, click here and here.