Cole Hamels Gets Lit Up, Mets Walk On Phillies
By: Mike Reisman
In a season with 162 games, a loss here or there isn't a big deal, especially for a team that has the best record in the MLB, and has won their last two games by a combined 18 runs. However, in this long, marathon of a season there are 18 division games that the Phillies play against the Mets, and those are 18 games that nobody wants to lose. Unfortunately today, in a game with Cole Hamels on the mound and a situation that looked like another inevitable loss for the Mets, the Phillies were forced to accept defeat in the form of a nine-run massacre.
Phillies starter Cole Hamels came into the game having not allowed more than two runs since early May, however, the Mets would change that in the 3rd on a Scott Hariston double, adding two runs to the run the Mets had scored in the 1st inning. They would continue to pound Hamels, and before his day was through, Hamels would allow seven runs on eight hits in just 4.1 innings. He would also walk an uncharacteristic four batters, while striking out three Mets.
Like Hamels, the Phillies offense would not fare well, scoring just two runs all game, both coming in the 7th. Neither run would come from a hit, however they would put the Phillies on the board. Those runs would be erased in the bottom half of the inning, as the Mets would score four runs off of Danys Baez. The Mets would win 11-2, handing Cole Hamels his fifth loss of the season.
Though Cole Hamels had a very bad day, credit is due to Mets starter Jonathon Niese who shut the Phillies down today, striking out six batters and only allowing one earned run (though two total runs) through seven very strong innings. With the exception of his seventh and final inning, Niese allowed just three hits all game, and allowed just one runner to reach scoring position, even though like one of the Phillies runs, the play came on an error.
Today was just one of those awful games for the Phillies, which are usually harmless, however the Phillies have been having these games fairly often recently. Even worse, tonight was another example of Danys Baez allowing a team to come in and destroy any momentum that the Phillies may have been starting to pick up. Baez' ERA is now at 6.25, and his WHIP is over 1.55, both awful numbers for a major league pitcher. Though the Phillies may not like the idea of sending down Baez, that seems like the logical choice, especially with 25 year old reliever Michael Schwimer playing incredibly in AAA with a 5-0 record and 1.74 ERA in 35 games.
The Phillies play the rubber match of this three game series tomorrow at 1:10 with Kyle Kendrick taking on Mike Pelfrey.