So it may be a little unfair to compare one of the game's all-time greats, currently in his 23rd season and on the doorstep of his 350th win, with a kid still in his third season who was vying for his 27th.

Last night, however, Hamels outdueled Maddux, allowing five hits in 7 1/3 innings of a 7-4 win over the Padres.

"I got outpitched," said Maddux, who allowed three runs in 6 1/3 innings but for the third straight start fell short of becoming just the ninth pitcher in major league history to win 350 games.

That's high praise for Hamels, who idolized Maddux growing up and last year sought him out for an autographed jersey when the Padres played the Phillies.

When Maddux, 42, made his major league debut, Hamels was 3. When he won his first Cy Young, Hamels was 9. The last time he finished in the top five in Cy Young voting, Hamels was still in high school.

Maddux is old.

Hamels is young.

But as they proved last night in a 2-hour, 39-minute pitchers' duel, both could someday be mentioned in the same breath.

Hamels, 24, allowed just one hit and didn't allow a baserunner past second until Padres centerfielder Scott Hairston crushed 0-1 pitch for a solo home run in the fifth inning. It was one of Hamels' few mistakes. He struck out six and walked two, throwing 97 pitches, with 73 for strikes, before he was lifted from the game with one out in the eighth.

The Phillies led just 3-1 at the time, thanks to a typically efficient performance by Maddux. Eric Bruntlett scored the Phillies' first run, on a single by Ryan Howard in the first, and drove in the next run, on a single in the third that scored Jayson Werth, who had tripled off the rightfield wall with one out. In the seventh, Werth hit a sacrifice fly that scored Carlos Ruiz, who was on third thanks to a single to rightfield by Hamels, a hit that knocked Maddux out of the game.

Hamels gave up a double to Hairston to lead off the eighth, then walked Tony Clark after a groundout by Josh Bard to put runners on the corners.

At that point, manager Charlie Manuel decided to turn the game over to a bullpen that has pitched out of its share of jams this season.

"I thought about letting him go, but at the same time, he'd already pitched good," Manuel said. "We had a full bullpen, plus I definitely didn't want to lose the game, because he should have gotten rewarded for the way he pitched. I thought he did a heck of a job."

Lefthander J.C. Romero walked the only batter he faced, but righthander Tom Gordon recorded two groundouts to escape the inning with just one run and keep the Phillies ahead, 3-2. For the second time in three appearances, Gordon pitched his way out of a bases-loaded jam. Gordon also recorded two outs with the bases loaded in a 3-1 win over Milwaukee on April 24.

"It's been a long time for me to a point where I've gotten opportunities to come in in those situations," Gordon said. "You never want to come in those situations like that, but that's what our job requires at times. I'm just grateful the last couple outings to be healthy and strong enough to make the pitches that I need to make."

Manuel's pregame decision-making was also vindicated as three players whose statuses were unclear - Werth, Ruiz and Pedro Feliz - came through with big games. There was some thought that Manuel might start Greg Dobbs at third base in place of Feliz, but because of Maddux's stellar numbers against lefties this season, he opted for Feliz. The third baseman responded by hitting an RBI single that jumpstarted the Phillies' four-run eighth inning. Feliz finished 2-for-4 on the night (though, to be fair, Dobbs had an RBI double while pinch-hitting in the eighth to put the Phillies up 7-2).

Werth, meanwhile, went 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI while getting the start in centerfield, despite the presence of Shane Victorino, who was activated from the disabled list and pinch-hit for Geoff Jenkins in the eighth.

There was also some thought that Manuel might start the hot-hitting Chris Coste behind the plate over Ruiz, but Ruiz responded with a two-run double in the eighth and finished 2-for-4.

At 15-12, the Phillies will take a winning record into May for the first time since 2003.

"I plan on winning some more," Manuel said. "It's good to have a winning record in April, of course. Like I said when the season started, we want to keep up with the league."

But the story of the game was Hamels, who evened his record at 3-3 and lowered his ERA to 2.70. He has several more seasons to go - 20, to be exact - before he can consider himself in the same league as Maddux. Hamels, never bashful, looks forward to the day.

"It's something I strive for," said Hamels, who has a good example near his locker in 45-year-old Jamie Moyer. "It's going to be a long grind. I think it's something I am going to go for. If I never reach it, I'm not going to really think back about it, but to be able to pitch as long as Greg and Jamie, that's something special." *

For more Phillies coverage and opinion, read David Murphy's blog, High Cheese, at http://go.philly.com/highcheese.