Hamels Wills Phils to Sixth-Straight Win

Fear the Beard: Hamels has been  great of late.

It was a nail-biter to the end.  Jonathan Papelbon surrendered 2 hits and a run (only his 3rd this year in 17 innings), but came back to strike out the side and the Phillies (17-23, 5-13 away) held on to beat the Rockies 4-3 Monday night.

The Rockies matched the Phils in hits (10), but Papelbon, after faltering, regained composure to record his 10th save in 10 tries.

With the win, the Phillies, winners of a MLB-best 6-straight games, passed the Marlins, losers of 4-straight and climbed out of last-place in the NL East, where they trail the first-place Mets by 6 1/2 games.

It was supposed to be the Season of Regret.  It was shaping up to be a Lost Season.  When the Phils fell to 11-23 on May 12th, after just over a month of regulation baseball, it was beginning to look like the predicted train wreck had indeed arrived.  "Avert the eyes!" appeared on the face of anyone who was invested in the team, as well as those tall, lean left-handed World Series ring wearing Californians hoping to get off it before it sunk entirely.

Then, something unexpected happened.  The hapless, the downtrodden, the meek rebuilding work in progress team did something they hadn't done since September, 2012.

They won six-in-a-row.  Granted, they did it against some of the league's worst teams: Arizona, Colorado, Pittsburgh-- all losing teams.  However, they still did it.  And it's not over yet.

Like Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over 'til it's over."  The current win streak doesn't give the Phils bragging rights, it merely gives them hope.  However, hope is the one thing they and their fans couldn't afford to have a week ago.

A week ago was before Maikel Franco joined the major league club, most likely for the long haul.  A week ago was before the Phils rallied for 3 in the seventh to comeback beat Arizona.  A week ago they weren't a winning team at home.  Now, after concluding a successful home-stand yesterday, they are.

Herrera's double was the winning hit.

In the top of the 6th inning, with the score tied at one and two quick outs already recorded, 3B Maikel Franco singled to start a rally.  The 22 year-old rookie from the Dominican Republic has now hit safely in 3-straight games and scored runs in each of them.  Veteran Chase Utley then walked.

With two outs and two on, rookie center fielder Odubel Herrera (9th in the NL with 6 SB) slammed a 2-run double to deep right in the 6th, which plated both Franco and Utley to put the Phils up 3-1, a lead they would keep.

Hamels (4-3, 3.24 ERA) became a winner with 7 stellar innings in hitter-haven Coors field.  He S.O. 7, walked only 1 and allowed just 1 run.  Hamels has been focused and great of late.  His bid to be traded to a title contender is certainly fueling him, but it's more than that.  This is clearly a pitcher in his prime.  His 2.46 ERA in 2014 was a career-best, and after a characteristically uneven start to the season, the 31 year-old is picking up where he left off. In his last 3 games, Hamels has allowed 4 runs in 22 innings for a 1.64 ERA.

"Cole's been really aggressive on the inside part of the plate," said manager Ryan Sandberg before the game. "And I think with that his stuff has even gotten better. Even hitting 94, 95 with his fastball. It makes his change-up better. I think he has overall made the hitters uncomfortable his last two or three outings.  I see him really settling into the type of groove that he was [in] last year,  Just a little bit earlier [this year]."

Lead-off hitter Ben Revere had 3 hits for the second-straight night and is now hitting .303 in May.

Aaron Harang has been spectacular.

Tuesday night in Colorado, Aaron Harang will take the mound for the Phils.  Harang is 4-3 so far this year.  He has been a wonderful surprise.  After finishing 2014 12-12 with a 3.57 ERA for Atlanta, but a poor 1.40 WHIP, the 37 year-old Harang has begun his 2015 campaign with the Phils in outstanding fashion.  His 0.98 WHIP and 2.08 ERA each rank 6th in the NL.

When Harang steps on the mound at 8:40 PM EST Tuesday, the Phils will have every reason to hope for their seventh-straight victory.  Hope, for the first time this year, is something they can go to sleep tonight enjoying and maybe, just maybe, something they can survive tomorrow with still in their grasp.

Phils Next Star Makes His Mark

 

Third baseman Maikel [pronounced "my-kell"] Franco hit his first MLB HR Sunday and added a triple to power the Phillies to a 6-0 win and a weekend sweep of Arizona at Citizens Bank Park in Philly.

Franco is the first of what many believe will be a host of minor league players who will be promoted to major league roles with the Phillies throughout this rebuilding season.  Those faces will likely include  J.P. Crawford, Roman Quinn and 21 year-old starting pitcher sensation Aaron Nola, currently tearing through the minors at 5-2 with a 1.77 ERA.

Franco, 22, has been approximately five years younger than the average player at each level he has competed at, from single A to MLB.  He has shown no fear, no loss of nerve or ability.  This weekend was no different.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Despite much hype, including manager Ruben Amaro Jr. stating that if nothing else Franco would be a huge upgrade in defense at 3B over Cody Asche (who was demoted to learn LF and make way for Franco last week), Franco looked comfortable on the field and at the plate.  

Franco brings a much needed dose of hope to Phillies fans buried in the despair of a rebuilding effort that has taken a dramatic downward turn from the winning baseball they had only recently become accustomed to.

Phenom Aaron Nola could be the next great Phils pitcher.

Justin De Fratus exemplified this reach toward optimism in the locker room before Sunday's game.   The relief pitcher, who will turn 28 on October 21st, told Franco that Sunday would be the day he'd hit his first major league HR.  There was something convincing in the pitcher's commanding prediction, because Franco not only agreed with him before the game, but solidified the prophecy during it.

After the game, De Fratus made an even bolder prediction:

"He's gonna hit 30 home runs and 120 RBI," De Fratus said. "I called the home run. He's going to take us to the playoffs."

The Phillies, who have MLB's worst road record at 4-13 are now winners, at 12-10, at home.  While they are hardly considered or considering themselves contenders, they happen to be just 6 1/2 games back at this early juncture. 

In the 6th inning Sunday, Franco tripled to put the Phillies up 3-0.  After the game, Franco called it his best swing of the day.  In the broadcast booth, Mike Schmidt commented on Franco's triple, which he estimated traveled 405 feet in right field, 4 feet shy of a HR, that "in a lot of places, that's plenty out of the park."  

Franco greeted by teammates after 1st career HR.

Then, in his next at-bat leading off the 8th inning and Randall Delgado pitching for Arizona, Franco went deep to left center field, 367 feet and over the fence.  The Phillies led 5-0 en route to a 6-0 romp behind a strong outing by Sean O'Sullivan (who got his first win in 4 years) and 3 relievers who combined for the shutout.

But the real story was  Franco.  In a recent interview after a minor league game, he said: “Every time I come in, I just try to be a clown a little bit and enjoy the moment. I love to play baseball.”  His relaxed confidence is reminiscent of Jimmy Rollins, who was also a homegrown player who debuted with the Phils in 2000 and led them to a World Series title and 5 consecutive division titles with his self-proclaimed swagger.

The Phils have now won 5-straight games for the first time in almost a year.  They will go for their 6th straight in Colorado Monday behind Cole Hamels, who has won two straight games with an ERA of 1.29 over those games.

Franco was appropriately modest during his post-game interview, during which he was struck with the traditional shaving cream by veteran catcher Carlos Ruiz.  "My team is playing very good right now. I came in at a good moment," Franco said. "I'm happy for that and I just want to continue to prove myself and help my team."

Fans can happily anticipate more of this image (Franco lathered in shaving cream) for years to come, as well as Franco's lightness, power and rock solid glove work, all a breath of fresh air and on display at Citizens Bank Park this weekend.