Braves Put Down a Notch

When Cole Hamels' words were taken out of context during the 2009 World Series, they became a rallying point for his critics.

"I can't wait for it to end," Hamels said then.

On Monday night, as a towel-waving sellout crowd at Citizens Bank Park saluted Hamels, who walked off the field with a 3-1 Phillies victory over the Atlanta Braves just an inning away, even his staunchest detractors may have been converted.

Now listen to these words: Cole Hamels is having fun. He throws four pitches. He is more focused on every pitch. He won't allow a few bad omens evolve into a wreck.

"To now have four" pitches, Hamels said, "it makes it harder for them and obviously easier for me. But I think it makes it more fun. I can play that chess match and throw a few audible calls in there to mess them up."

On a staff of aces, Hamels may be the best right now. In his last five starts, the lefthander has a 0.49 ERA.

"In order to win a lot of games," Charlie Manuel said, "that's what your pitcher has to be like."

The Phillies have won a lot of games. They are 29 games over .500 for the first time since 1993. They have won eight games in a row, tying a season high. They have a four-game lead in the division, their largest since May 21. Their magic number is eight with 11 games to play - five of them vs. Atlanta.

And on Tuesday, the Phillies will send Roy Halladay to the mound seeking to become the franchise's first 20-game winner since 1982. He will face rookie lefthander Mike Minor.

"There's no sense in celebrating yet," Manuel said.

No, but it's looking brighter by the day. Hamels did more than his part.

In the seventh inning, with Hamels' pitch count rising, he faced Alex Gonzalez with two outs and a runner on first. With a 1-2 count, Hamels shook off catcher Carlos Ruiz three times.

"I have the confidence that I can throw all four pitches for strikes at any time," Hamels said. "That's something I've never had."

Fastball? No. Change-up? No. Cutter? No. Hamels wanted the curveball.

"He went through the whole cycle," Hamels said of Ruiz. "He was like, 'OK.' That was something where I knew that would be the right pitch just because he hasn't seen it."

Gonzalez chopped it to third and Placido Polanco made the play. Inning over.

After coming off an outing of 127 pitches, the most he had ever thrown in a game, Hamels had an extra day of rest. He had thrown 103 pitches in seven innings, but Manuel never had anyone warm up before the eighth began. Hamels has been that good, and the manager rewarded his pitcher with trust.

The eighth inning was a breeze; just 14 pitches to record two fly balls to left and a grounder to third.

The Phillies turned three double plays behind Hamels.

"I didn't have to throw 127 pitches," he quipped.

His ERA this season is 2.93, making him the third Phillies starter with a sub-3.00 mark. The 26-year-old who has already won a World Series MVP is authoring the best season of his career.

Earlier this month, pitching coach Rich Dubee and Manuel aligned their rotation such that their three aces would face Atlanta. If the National League East were to be decided by these games, the Phillies wanted their best shot at winning.

On Monday it worked straight to plan. Hamels, paired against Braves rookie Brandon Beachy - starting only because Jair Jurrjens was an afternoon scratch - was simply masterful.

So, who's the ace of the staff?

"Charlie," Hamels said. "He makes the calls. He gets us motivated."

What does the manager think?

"I don't know," Manuel said. Whoever pitches good on that night."

Rest easy: There are still two aces to go.