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The Leading Logic In Sports Handicapping |
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By Larry Dougherty
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Cole Hamels threw his first major
league shutout and the Philadelphia Phillies hit three home runs
in a 5-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday.
Shane Victorino connected on two-run homer while Pedro Feliz and
Ryan Howard added solo shots to power the Phillies. The three
long balls increased Philadelphia's major league-leading total
to 59 homers.
Hamels (5-3), who picked up his first career complete game, was
imposing on the mound, retiring 15 batters in a row following a
one-out single to Omar Infante in the first inning. Gregor
Blanco, who entered the game in the fifth inning via a double
switch, delivered a one-out single in the sixth, but Hamels
retired the next two batters to end the frame.
"It is good. It is one of those monkeys that have been on my
back, getting out of the eighth inning," Hamels said of the
shutout. "Being able to get out of the eighth inning and
allowing myself the possibilities of a ninth was definitely key
for myself and for the team."
"He was good, very good," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.
"He pitched a heck of a ballgame."
After the Phillies left the bases loaded in the first inning,
Feliz belted his sixth homer of the year on the first pitch by
starter Chuck James (2-3) to lead off the second.
Howard delivered a solo shot in the third, his ninth of the
season and second in as many games, with one out in the third.
Feliz just missed another homer as his long single hit off the
top of the left field fence to score Pat Burrell, making it 3-0
after three innings.
Victorino gave the Phillies a five-run lead with his two-run
shot in the fourth.
"It feels good," said Victorino on his first homer of the
season. "I have a long way to go. I will keep battling, keep
playing. As long as we are winning that is all that really
matters."
Meanwhile, Hamels was overpowering the Braves hitters, who were
missing the major league's leading hitter, Chipper Jones (.418).
The Atlanta third baseman was held out of the lineup after
experiencing discomfort in his right groin muscle prior to the
game.
The Phillies lefthander allowed just four hits while striking
out six. He also added two hits in the game, increasing his
batting average to .320 on the season.
"His strike-ball count was off the charts," Atlanta manager
Bobby Cox said. "You would almost have to throw a shutout
against him and hope to scratch out a run to beat him tonight."
Hamels was efficient with his pitches, throwing 22 first-pitch
strikes to the 32 batters he faced.
"(The key was) being able to throw strike one anytime. I was
able to get six outs on first-pitch fastballs," Hamel said. "It
also keeps your pitch count down and it also enables to not
throw a strike and they are still going to swing. It is also
keeping guys off balance and that was what I was able to do."
"It is nice to go out there when he is in a rhythm," Victorino
said. "It seems like you are on and off the field. It keeps
you on your toes. It keeps you in a groove, which is definitely
nice."
After a leadoff single by Infante in the ninth, Jimmy Rollins
helped preserve Hamels' shutout with a hard-hit double-play ball
that knocked the reigning National League MVP on his backside.
Rollins quickly recovered on the ball hit by Jeff Francoeur to
turn the twin-killing. Hamels then struck out Mark Teixeira to
end the game.
"That was huge," Hamels said of the double play. "That was a
big moment as it was a hard-hit ball. Teixeira is a very good
hitter and it was one of the key plays in keeping my pitch count
down."
As dominant as Hamels was, James struggled through his four
innings for the Braves. The lefthander allowed six hits,
including all three homers.
"He is getting his change in the middle of the plate," Cox said.
"He has got to adjust and Philly is a tough place to adjust
in."
The one bright spot for Atlanta was its bullpen. Jorge Campillo
tossed three scoreless inning and Chris Resop added one,
allowed just a single by Hamels in the eighth.
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