Hamels responds to rest

It’s hard to believe and seems almost sacrilege to say, but the Phillies biggest 2 pitching problems are Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge. After 2008’s immaculate performances by each man (albeit Hamels saved best for last), 2009 has proved a juggernaut of collective head scratching in the front-end of the rotation and backend of the bullpen.

If a big lead in the division (now dwindled to 5 games, but who wouldn’t have wished for it in April?) could lead to yawns and a glance at the potential postseason matchups, Hamels and Lidge have brewed up enough drama to keep all eyes on each game.

Lidge seems to have worked out his problems—but it’s the 3rd or 4th time this season we've heard that. Hamels, meanwhile, is another story and poses one of the most perplexing problems the team has faced all year. Obviously, his spot in the rotation is secure. The questions remain:

1) What can be done to help him reclaim 2008 postseason dominance?

2) Where would he fit in Phils’ rotation if playoffs began today?

The answers are complex-- or maybe not.

On June 4th, 2009, I watched Hamels pitch at Dodger Stadium against a Manny-less Dodger squad. He was brilliant. It was his best outing this year. In 9 innings, he shutout the Dodgers on 97 pitches. He struck out 5 and walked nobody. It was control, dominance, everything you hope for out of your #1 starter, your Ace. Contrast that with Hamels' most recent 2 outings: 10 1/3 innings, 15 hits, 11 runs, 6 BB, 6 S.O. Those kind of numbers in the playoffs can spell disaster for a team-- just ask Chad Billingsley. So, how do you right Mr. Hollywood, Mr. Cool, one of the most powerful weapons you posses, 2008’s NLCS and WS MVP?

The answer may be staring you in the face, it’s that obvious-- and consequently no one is seeing it. How did the Phils right Lidge (if they did) and Ibanez, Werth, Victorino, Condrey and Eyre…? Rest. A DL stint may be just what the doctor ordered. If Hamels has a chance to sit down, maybe he can stand back up and represent his former self. It’s worth a shot, and the Phils—most pertinently—can afford it. With the sizeable lead and lack of competition in their division, with a surplus of starting pitching, the time is now to get everybody as healthy as possible. It has worked so far, and they’re still far ahead. The alternative is obvious, but far from a solution: keep putting Hamels out there and hope for the best, while witnessing the consistently unsettling results.

Hamels shined on extra rest last year, which is part of what propped him up to such a dazzling October. The Phils won each playoff series succinctly, which enabled Hamels to pitch on extra rest throughout the postseason. If they rest him now, say 14-day DL, he comes back fresh, strengthened for when they need him most. Right now, can Manuel or Amaro Jr. honestly say that Hamels deserves the ball over Lee or Happ—or even Blanton? That puts him at #4 (on performance, not reputation or potential). He’s worth more than that, he’s proven it. Doesn’t Hamels deserve the rest, to right whatever wrong he has been feeling since Spring Training? So that he can prove, once again, what he can do at his best, when it counts the most.