Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
One of the surest things in baseball is a well-pitched game from Cole Hamels at Petco Park. He did not disappoint on Wednesday night as the Phillies cruised past the San Diego Padres, 5-2.
It’s not just the Padres that have been owned by Hamels as of late. He is on a streak of 21 consecutive starts of three earned runs or fewer. Perhaps the most dominant stretch of his young career. He also lowered his ERA to 2.47 which is good for fourth in the league.
The reason why Hamels only has nine wins is season is due to a lack of run support. Darin Ruf, Ben Revere, and Freddy Galvis made sure he had plenty of runs to work with on this night.
Ruf took full advantage of the playing time he was given Wednesday night. He ignited both rallies – a leadoff single in the fifth inning and a leadoff double in the sixth. He came around to score both times.
With the Phillies in the midst of a stretch of facing left-handed starting pitching, Ruf should see a considerable amount of playing time in the next few days.
Galvis and Revere provided the key hits in the fifth inning with a two-run single and two-run double, respectively. Revere also added his 46th stolen base of the season in the first inning.
Hamels did not look sharp early in the game – the Padres had six base runners in the first four innings. But, as most elite pitchers do, he kept the damage to a minimum – only allowing a run-scoring single to center fielder Cameron Maybin.
With two more scheduled starts this season, Hamels is on pace for another 200-inning, 200-strikeout season – quite an accomplishment considering he missed nearly all of April.
With extended playing time given to Galvis and possibly Ruf throughout the rest of the season, the Phillies must use this period to help in the evaluation process. The front office and manager Ryne Sandberg must determine whether one or both fit into the team’s long term plans.
Ruf, who missed considerable time due to an assortment of injuries this season, will head to the Dominican Republic this off-season to try and prove that he is an everyday player.
Performances like Wednesday night’s, will go a long way into helping his cause.
NOTES
– With Pittsburgh’s win on Wednesday night, the Phillies were officially eliminated from playoff contention.
– Cole Hamels has not allowed more than three earned runs in a game since May 27.
– Ken Giles had his streak of eight consecutive scoreless, hitless appearances snapped on Wednesday night. He had not allowed a run since August 23 against the Cardinals.