Phillies lose game, but Hamels should be OK

It was a loss, but it could have been doubly painful.

Maybe 10 times more painful.

The Phillies cost themselves a sweep when they dropped the third and final game of their interleague series against the visiting Red Sox, 5-2. They did not, however, lose another pitcher.

Cole Hamels caught the first bullet, but couldn't dodge the next one.

In the third inning, Red Sox shortstop Marco Scutaro led off and ripped a line drive up the middle that Hamels stabbed at and gloved with his right hand. Hamels stared at the ball in his glove, relieved; no real harm.

In the fourth, Adrian Gonzalez ripped a line drive up the middle that ripped Hamels' glove from his hand. The ball fell at his feet, and, with both hands bare, Hamels winced, bent over and threw to first for the second out of that inning.

Real harm done.

Manager Charlie Manuel, pitching coach Rich Dubee and the medical staff converged on the mound, where Hamels held his glove in his left hand. He seemed to favor his right pinky, flexing it repeatedly. He put his glove back on, threw a few practice pitches, and stayed in the game. He retired Dustin Pedrioa on a groundout to third to end the inning but he did not return for the fifth.

X-rays were negative. He suffered a bad bruise at the meaty base of his right thumb, where the ball's stitch marks remained embedded. Hamels' next start is in jeopardy, said general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr.

"Hopefully, in 5 days he'll be ready to pitch," Amaro said. "We're not 100 percent sure he'll make his next start."

Hamels is scheduled to start Tuesday at Florida.

Amaro's explanation differed from the in-game announcement, which was that Hamels was expected to take his regular turn.

A club official said that Hamels declined to speak to the press after the game because he believed a TV cameraman inappropriately filmed him in the clubhouse.

Amaro, Jr. acted as his spokesman.

"He's sore," Amaro said.

David Herndon (0-2) entered and allowed two runs in the fifth and a Jason Varitek homer in the sixth, his fourth of the season and the first of two in the game. Herndon had not allowed a run in his previous 10 outings, a span of 14 2/3 mostly significant innings.

More significantly, Hamels, among the National League leaders in earned-run average, wins and strikeouts, will stay in the rotation. He allowed no runs, two hits and struck out two in his four innings. He remains 9-4.

He also remains off the disabled list.

The Phillies' golden pitching staff already has five of its top pitchers on the DL: No. 3 starter Roy Oswalt (back), No. 5 starter Joe Blanton (elbow), closer Brad Lidge (shoulder), closer Jose Contreras (elbow) and closer Ryan Madson (hand).

Hamels' exit ended what had been a thrilling matchup of two of baseball's better young lefthanders.

Jon Lester moved to 10-4 with seven shutout innings, allowing two hits. He allowed only two baserunners through six innings, a Ryan Howard walk in the second inning and a Chase Utley single in the fourth. Another single and walk in the seventh made things dicey, but he struck out Raul Ibanez to end that threat, and his day.

Daniel Bard pitched a perfect eighth, but Bobby Jenks allowed the third and fourth hits of the game in the ninth when Placido Polanco led off with a single and Ryan Howard cranked his 17th homer, a second-deck shot to rightfield.

Jenks' subsequent walk to Shane Victorino brought in closer Jonathan Papaelbon, who got a groundout and struck out Ibanez, looking, to end it for his 15th save.

It was just the Red Sox' second win in their last six games. They remain 2 ½ games behind the Yankees in the American League East.

The sizeable Red Sox contingent at Citizens Bank Park thrilled to Lester';s performance. Sox fans appeared to account for a solid 10 percent of the 45,810 that filled the park, the 169th consecutive sellout.

More accurate estimates were impossible, since the fans of both teams wore red and shared a similar demeanor.

Phillers

Rookie RF Domonic Brown, a lefthanded hitter, did not start against lefty Jon Lester. . . . Jason Varitek's two homers and Dustin Pedroia's homer gave the Sox 52 homers on the road, best in the majors. . . . Varitek last hit two homers in a game April 10, 2010. . . . Pedroia and Varitek homered back-to-back off Andrew Carpenter in the eighth, making it 5-0.