This afternoon the Phillies defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks thanks primarily to Cole Hamels. After his "strike three" to the leadoff hitter was called a "ball", Hammels surrendered a Double. But he then retired 18 Diamondbacks in a row in a brilliant pitching exhibition. He did OK as a hitter, too, driving in 2 runs with a clutch single to give his team a more comfortable lead. After faltering briefly in the seventh inning and giving up 2 runs, he set Arizona down with ease in the eighth. He probably could have pitched the ninth, but Charley Manuel give him a rest and called on the bullpen to finish up.
So on consecutive days now, we have seen excellent pitching from the Phils' 2 youngest starters - Cole Hamels and Vance Worley. This is a good omen, and it was coupled with a bit of improvement in the Phillie offense. With proven veterans Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, Hamels and Worley make the Philadelphia starting pitching staff one of the strongest in baseball. If only the offense can average 4 or more runs per game ... Let's hope they can.
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