Game 103: A pitching treat
The last time Cole Hamels faced Matt Cain, it was Game 3 of the National League Championship Series. Cody Ross was well on his way to achieving hero status and Phillies fans have mostly blocked October 19, 2010 out of their minds.
Game 103: A pitching treat
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
The last time Cole Hamels faced Matt Cain, it was Game 3 of the National League Championship Series. Cody Ross was well on his way to achieving hero status and Phillies fans have mostly blocked October 19, 2010 out of their minds.
But it was a great pitching duel, just as Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park could be. Cain was bumped up a day to start for San Francisco as Tim Lincecum's illness is still preventing him from pitching. If he cannot go Thursday, the Phillies would likely face former farmhand and local boy Ryan Vogelsong in the series finale.
With a righty on the mound, Charlie Manuel returns Domonic Brown to right field. Here are the Phillies' career numbers against Cain:
| PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Utley | 18 | 18 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 2 | .389 | .389 | .944 | 1.333 |
| Jimmy Rollins | 15 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | .462 | .533 | 1.231 | 1.764 |
| Ryan Howard | 14 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | .231 | .286 | .692 | .978 |
| Brian Schneider | 13 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .273 | .385 | .273 | .657 |
| Shane Victorino | 13 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | .200 | .385 | .200 | .585 |
| Carlos Ruiz | 8 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500 | .625 | .833 | 1.458 |
| Ross Gload | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | .143 | .000 | .143 |
| Raul Ibanez | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .000 | .167 | .000 | .167 |
| Ben Francisco | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | .333 | .000 | .333 |
| Cole Hamels | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Total | 99 | 86 | 24 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 18 | 11 | 17 | .279 | .374 | .605 | .978 |
And the full lineup:
1. Jimmy Rollins 6
2. Michael Martinez 5
3. Chase Utley 4
4. Ryan Howard 3
5. Shane Victorino 8
6. Raul Ibanez 7
7. Domonic Brown 9
8. Carlos Ruiz 2
9. Cole Hamels 1
***
Meanwhile, the most important event of the evening for the Phillies will happen about an hour north in Allentown. Roy Oswalt is expected to throw around 60 pitches in his first rehab start for triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Be sure to follow colleague Bob Brookover on Twitter (@brookob) for real-time updates.
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- You are right on. Can't imagine being in Dom's shoes with 45,000 Phillies fans booing him in his own ball park. The only way a young player to improve is to play and he would probably appreciate more support from his hometown people. This kid looks like a good player to build around, like you said.
— Hiawatha - Stay hot Hamels! This is game two of the Phillies sweep because the Giants suck suck suck!!!! Hope we face the long haired hippy boy so we can pound him into the ground. - sign: bitter betty
- This comment has been deleted.— warbiscuit
- Francouer??..is that your best shot? please... And, what prospect did he give up for Oswalt. You're not talking about 4-12 6.12 ERA Happ are you? — dirttracker
- Cain has pitched much better this year against lefties (as compared to batting average vs. righties) so why load up line-up w/lefties ?— willll
- Hunter Pence is 28, Dom brown is 24. Pence is done with his MLB growing pains, whereas if you watch Brown in the field, he's brutal. Pence has the best arm in the NL and is a very good, not great bat. Brown is erratic at the plate at best. Pence is in his prime NOW! Brown, not so much. We are built to win NOW! Pence is ready to contribute CONSISTENTLY. And contribute NOW. Pence will be our RF for 5 years. Including Brown in a trade for Pence is a NO BRAINER! However, it remains to be seen what ELSE Ed Wade will want from the Phils. DO IT! NOW!— 5NOT4
- Martinez is hitting second because he has 9 hits and 11 RBI in the last 10 games, not to mention his speed.— cg
- I felt last year's Game 3 was the turning point of last year's NLCS. We had our former World Series MVP against a right handed pitcher not named Tim Lincicum (same pitching matchup as tonight).
On paper, it looked like the best matchup for the Phillies against the Giants. Instead, Matt Cain shut our left handed hitters down and the Giants won the game. After that game, I thought the series was over. If we couldn't win with Cole Hamels on the mound and couldn't hit against an average right hander, how could we hit against two left handed starters or Tim Lincicum?— schmolik - Should be a good game. Giants line up not scary at all— Ssteve115
- Build around Brown? And what has Brown shown you that you can say the teams has to build around him? You build around Hamels, Victorino and Bastardo, three already proven talents. If Brown can contribute fine. The Phillies are not in a rebuilding mood. The are build to win now with the 3 aces, Rollins, Howard, Chooch, Utley and the aging Polanco and Ibañez. If that means getting Pence, who at 28 is still very young and peaking, at the expense of Brown they should do it.— EL Zorro
- built— EL Zorro
- There's a scene in "Rocky" that typifies Phillies fans. In that scene, Rocky's boss points to his disgruntled driver and says, "Some people just hate." Had Bruce Bochy opted to have two Giants pitchers work the first four innings of this years All Star Game and thereafter not pitched Halladay or Cliff Lee, Phillies fans would have severely criticized Bochy. Instead, Bochy does the opposite and still gets severe criticism from Philly - even though Halladay thanked Bochy and Lee asked to work a second inning. Some people just hate - even though that victory gives the NL home field in the WS.— conniesmack
- So true, conniesmack. As a die-hard, life-long Phillies fan who lives in SF, I can tell you that the locals here think that Phillie fans and Philly sportswriters are all morons. They may have a point, considering some of the lame-brain comments re. Bochy's all-star decisions seen on this board. Go Phils!
- What a great time to be a Phillies fan. I can't wait to get home and watch this game.— 1980
