It’s time to stop the whispers about Cole Hamels.
He’s too cool. He’s not “Philly” enough, whatever that is. He’s not a tough guy.
Last night Hamels, the cool California kid from San Diego, strode to the mound in St. Louis lugging the burden of a city’s sports fortunes on his back.
Not tough enough? Hamels never blinked once. He also did not surrender a run.
No, Hamels was not overpowering. He did not have his best stuff. He was throwing a ton of pitches. 117 to be exact, in just six innings.
But he gutted it out, scattering five hits. When Hamels was lifted for a pinch hitter in the top of the seventh, it looked like one more time in a season in which it seemed more often than not that the Phils’ bats took the night off when he took the hill.
The game remained deadlocked with neither team able to push a run across.
Until Ben Francisco stepped in to hit for Hamels with two men on. You know what happened next: A Ben Francisco treat.
Francisco scorched a pitch from Cardinals’ starter Jaime Garcia into the bullpen for a three-run homer and a 3-0 lead.
Vance Worley gave up a run, as did Ryan Madson, who finally slammed the door in the ninth to seal the deal.
The Phils now have a 2-1 advantage and can close the series out tonight when the two teams square off again at 6:07.
The city desperately needed a lift after a sullen Sunday in which the Eagles flopped and the Phils folded.
Enter Cole Hamels. Had the Phils lost last night, the bridges would be packed this morning.
We have Hamels to thank for not facing the bleak prospect.
Just call him what our lead sports columnist, Jack McCaffery refers to him as: Mr. October.
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