Cole Hamels has been on a roll with the Phillies. (Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports)
DENVER — The Phillies have lost each of their past eight road series with an overall record of 7-20 in those games since Sept. 15, 2014. Moreover, they are 2-13-1 over their past 16 road series since July 18, 2014, with a record of 17-34 in those games.
But thanks in large part to Cole Hamels, the Phillies began a four-game series at Coors Field with a 4-3 win over the Rockies. It was their sixth straight victory, giving the Phillies their longest winning streak since they won seven straight from Sept. 5-12, 2012, and enabled them to pass the Miami Marlins and climb out of last place in the National League East. The Phillies had been last or tied for last in the division dating back to April 28.
The Phillies are weighing whether trading Hamels would hasten their rebuilding. Meanwhile, Hamels (4-3) is 11-0 in 17 starts since 2014 when his teammates tally three runs with him on the mound. He won his third straight start, worked a season-high 7 1/3 innings on 106 pitches and allowed one run on one walk and six hits while striking out seven, five swinging.
“Early on, he was misfiring up with some fastballs,” Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. “Some of that accounted for his pitch count going up to around 80 for five innings. But he made pitches when he had to.”
That was the case in the fourth when center fielder Odubel Herrera, who had a two-run double when the Phillies scored three in the sixth to go ahead 4-1, lost a ball in the darkening sky, putting runners on second and third with one out.
Hamels then struck out second baseman DJ LeMahieu on a high cutter, threw another cutter past pitcher Jordan Lyles to end the inning and began the fifth with two more strikeouts, both swinging, as he faced left fielder Charlie Blackmon and third baseman Nolan Arenado.
“Sometimes when you get ahead of guys, you’re able to throw pitches out of the zone and guys are still going to be aggressive,” Hamels said. “They want to put the ball in play. They don’t want to sit back and walk. You’re able to get away with more pitches out of the zone than probably what I’m accustomed to doing. But outs are outs.”
