Maybe we better hold off on all those grandiose funeral plans for the Phillies. Or at least the notion that they should be "sellers" in stead of "buyers" at the trade deadline.
Maybe they should just stand pat. They won again last night, and did it behind another strong performance from Cole Hamels.The left-hander was in serious grinder mode, gutting out eight innings, giving up just one run on six hits as the Phillies held on for a 3-2 win against the division rival Nationals. Dennis Deitch has all the details.
That makes the second straight outing in which Hamels has looked a lot more like the ace the Phillies invested $120 million in last off-season.
It also marked the Phils' sixth win in their last eight games, all against teams whose records are above the .500 mark.
Hamels raised his record to 4-11 with his second straight win. Anyone care to guess where the Phils might be if Hamels had his normal stuff in the first three months of the season? And anyone care to guess what this team might do if Hamels can reverse his 2-11 start in the second half of the season?
The Phils are now just a game and a half behind the Nats for second place in the NL East, behind the Braves. Atlanta won last night, so the Phils remain seven and a half back.
I was firmly in the camp that Ruben Amaro needed to hang the "For Sale" sign on this roster. But they're changing my mind. Amaro still has four games before the All-Star break and then two more weeks until the trade deadline to decide what he's going to do.
The Phillies could make that decision for him, by continuing the hot streak they are on now. The Phils send All-Star Cliff Lee to the mouind tonight. If he can beat the guy the Phils let get away, Gio Gonzales, this could get very interesting.
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