The Phillies' pitchers head into the all-star break off their best 10-game stretch of the season, illustrated by the 2.70 earned run average during a 9-1 homestand they completed yesterday with a methodical 5-2 win over the Pirates.
Hamels' shaky performance Saturday night was overshadowed by the dramatic five-run ninth inning that gave the Phillies an 8-7 win. But he gave up five runs in six innings.
Hamels is 5-5 and has one win since June 4, a span covering seven starts. He has allowed 25 runs in his last 402/3 innings for a 5.53 ERA.
Rather than start Hamels on Thursday at Florida when the season resumes after the all-star break, the Phils will go with Jamie Moyer and give Hamels an extra day of rest, something Rich Dubee thinks he can use.
Dubee suggested that Hamels' arm strength isn't where it should be, and he believes that's because the lefthander may be feeling the effects of the dramatic increase in his workload from 2007 to 2008.
"Just want to give him an extra day [of rest]," Dubee said. "You know, he's coming off 227 innings after coming off 183 the year before. In the four previous years before [2007], he pitched a combined 201, 202 innings. His workload had increased tremendously.
"And sometimes you don't feel as strong and you try to do more, and when you try to do more all of a sudden that ball gets elevated. We've got to get him back to commanding some stuff. We've still got to get Cole in the right mind-set."
Manager Charlie Manuel thought Hamels tried to do too much too soon in Saturday's start.
"It looked like he was trying real hard from the start, and usually he's real smooth and works his way in and that's when he's really good," Manuel said. "I think it's just a matter of time until he gets right. He's not as sharp right now as he's been in the past."
Dramatic improvement
The first-inning grand slam by Pedro Feliz gave the third baseman 45 RBIs for the season, only 13 fewer than he had all last season. Feliz also raised his batting average to .293 by going 2 for 4. Last season, he batted .249.
Manuel believes Feliz can be even better.
"He's had a good first half offensively," Manuel said. "He's putting the ball in play, hitting the ball more to right field, staying in there better. I'd still like to see him be more aggressive because I think he can be a much better hitter."
With runners in scoring position, Feliz is hitting .329 with 35 RBIs.
Extra bases
Ryan Howard's pitcher for tonight's Home Run Derby will be his former summer-league coach, Deron Spink, who helped the Phillies slugger hone his swing while he was in high school near St. Louis and at Southwest Missouri State University. Howard won the Home Run Derby in 2006. "I'm just going to have fun and not worry about any expectations," Howard said. . . . The Phillies had 15 homers and batted .302 during the homestand. . . . Jayson Werth has reached base safely in 19 straight games. . . . Jimmy Rollins scored 10 runs during the 10-game homestand. . . . The crowd of 45,245 was the 37th sellout of the season.
Contact staff writer Ray Parrillo at 215-854-2743
or rparrillo@phillynews.com.
