Game Recap:
Dave Bush of the Brewers held the Phillies without a hit for seven and one-third innings, before Matt Stairs drilled a solo home run to break up the no hitter, but the Phils still lost. Cole Hamels looked to be getting back into form before a Prince Fielder line drive knocked him out of the game.
What went right?
Even less than yesterday's game.
Matt Stairs hit his second home run of the season to break up Dave Bush's no hit bid in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Before he had to leave the game, Cole Hamels looked good, striking out six of the first nine batters he faced.
What went wrong?
Just about everything else.
Aside from the Matt Stairs homer, Shane Victorino had the only hit for the Phillies. Chase Utley saw his streak of getting on base in consecutive games end at 33, while Raul Ibanez's hitting streak stopped at nine games.
Jimmy Rollins went 0-3, dropping his average to a paltry .169.
Cole Hamels was forced to leave the game with what's being called a "left shoulder contusion." Hopefully, that's all it is.
Game Analysis:
Just when you thought this young season couldn't get any more challenging, a game like this comes around. Not only were the Phillies totally dominated by Dave Bush, but the left shoulder of Cole Hamels is going to be a serious concern. Plus, the Philadelphia offense has got to get more consistent, and soon.
The most important thing right now, though, is the injury to Hamels. While it came out after the game that he wanted to stay in, the Phillies made the right choice in taking him out. He's going to have to be watched, and I'd be willing to bet that it's going to hurt like hell tomorrow, but hopefully he'll be ready for his next start. If he's not, then skip his spot, it's that simple. There is no point to putting him out there and having him hurt himself even more, especially after his elbow injury to start the season.
The good thing is that he definitely looked like his old self while he was in the game today. Yes, he gave up another home run to Ryan Braun, but Braun owned the Philadelphia pitching staff during this series. If this shoulder issue doesn't hurt Hamels too much, it should only be a matter of time until he starts to really look like the World Series MVP once again. Now, if only the offense could get back on track...
The Phils don't have much time to think about the last two games, as they're headed down to Miami for a series with the Marlins. Brett Myers (1-1, 5.03 ERA) takes on Josh Johnson (2-0, 2.91 ERA) in the first game tomorrow night. Hopefully, the Marlins continue on their little slide.
No comments:
Post a Comment