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When the Phillies recalled highly touted pitching prospect
Cole Hamels
on May 12, he was expected to strengthen the rotation and help them contend for a division title.
Instead, Hamels will try to avoid his fifth straight loss and Philadelphia (37-44) looks to gain ground on a large deficit
in the NL East when it meets the
San Diego Padres
in the opener of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday.
The Phillies were 20-15 and just two games behind the division-leading Mets when Hamels (1-4, 5.50 ERA) was brought up from
Triple-A. Since then, Philadelphia has gone just 17-29 to fall 10 1/2 games behind New York.
The left-hander, though, was placed on the 15-day DL after his second start with a shoulder strain. But after earning a win
in his return on June 6, Hamels has continued to struggle.
He's pitched into the seventh inning just once, and has recorded a 7.84 ERA while allowing batters to hit .326 in his last
four outings.
On Wednesday against Baltimore, Hamels gave up career-highs of seven runs and nine hits over only five innings of a 7-4 loss
in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.
''Seriously, I (stink),'' said Hamels. ''That's all I can say. I'm not getting ahead of the hitters the way I should and I'm
definitely not finishing, especially when you go out there and you have two outs and you give up a couple of home runs. That's
not me.''
Hamels, a San Diego native, can also help the Phillies continue a long winning streak over his hometown team. Philadelphia
has won 10 straight over the Padres, outscoring them 54-28.
The Phillies avoided being swept by Toronto with an 11-6 victory on Sunday. Hours before being named to the All-Star team
for the first time,
Ryan Howard
and
Chase Utley
homered in the win as Philadelphia reached the halfway mark of the season.
''It was very inconsistent,'' Phillies manager
Charlie Manuel
said of his team's effort. ''Any time you have a losing record it's disappointing. Surprised? I'd say probably.''
The Padres (43-39), meanwhile, are coming off a split of a four-game series with San Francisco in which they dropped the final
two games including a 6-2 defeat on Sunday.
Starting pitcher
Chris Young
had an RBI single early, but lost for the first time since May 24 after allowing four runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings.
The four runs equaled what he had allowed in his previous six starts combined.
''Obviously, we would have liked to have taken three of four,'' Young said. ''But we're in good shape. We're playing decent
baseball. We'll be all right.''
Despite the split, San Diego remains in first place in the NL West, one-half game ahead of San Francisco.
Clay Hensley
(5-6, 4.14) looks for his first road win since mid-May when he gets the nod for San Diego. The right-hander is 0-3 with an
8.02 ERA in his last four road starts.
Hensley picked up his first win in five June starts his last time out, limiting Oakland to a run and five hits over seven
innings of the Padres' 8-1 win on Friday.
''I think Clay pitched great tonight,'' catcher
Mike Piazza
said. ''They're a real disciplined team and they don't swing at a lot of bad pitches, so he knew he had to throw strikes tonight.''
Hensley has no record and a 2.25 ERA in four career relief appearances against Philadelphia.
Piazza, a native of suburban Norristown, Pa., has hit 43 of his 408 career homers against the Phillies, the most he's had
against one team.
Josh Bard
, who shares time behind the plate with Piazza, is hitting .533 (8-for-15) in his last four games.
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