ST. LOUIS – There was an obvious story angle attached to Cole Hamels’ start against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night and it hung there like a fat changeup, just begging to be belted out of the park.
Hamels chose to take the pitch.
The Phillies ace had just picked up his first win of the season in a 4-1 victory over St. Louis (see Instant Replay). The loss was actually the second one of the day for the Cardinals, who three hours before the first pitch announced that their ace, Adam Wainwright, would miss the rest of the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon.
When Wainwright went down over the weekend, attention immediately focused on Hamels, who will likely be traded to a contending team this season. The Cardinals had been connected to Hamels even before Wainwright went down. Wainwright’s injury gave the possibility even more legs.
So, after all the particulars of his first win since Sept. 17 were covered, Hamels was asked if St. Louis would be a place he’d like to go if the Phillies ever traded him.
Hamels never took the bat off his shoulder.
“I don’t think I’m going to address that,” he said. “Sorry.”
Hey, at least he said he was sorry.
Without listing St. Louis as a destination, Hamels did admit that he likes the place.
“This is a great stadium,” he said. “It’s pure enjoyment to go out there. You know you’re playing a great team every year. Every year I’ve pitched against them they’re at the top of the division. They’ve won World Series, all the postseason appearances.”
The Cardinals will first try to fill the hole in their rotation from their own minor-league system. If the hole remains in a month or so, Hamels will likely be on their radar.
And the Red Sox’s radar, too. They have major performance issues in their rotation.
And he’ll be on the Dodgers’ radar, too. On the same day the Cardinals learned Wainwright’s fate, the Dodgers learned that Brandon McCarthy had gone down with a season-ending elbow injury.
“You do see the injuries,” Hamels admitted. “You don’t want that for anybody.”
Once upon a time, Hamels might have been more open to discussing trade possibilities, but he’s older (31) and wiser now.
“I’m living in the moment and that’s kind of all I can do,” he said. “In order to be accountable for what I have to do, I can’t think in the future or the past. I’ve got to be here in the present.”
Hamels’ trip to the present was a pretty good one Monday night. He pitched seven innings of one-run ball and struck out a season-high nine.
Hamels entered the game having received just four runs of support (while in the game) in his previous six starts dating to last season and he appeared to be headed for more run-support heartbreak when he and his mates turned a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead against John Lackey in the seventh inning. Manager Ryne Sandberg let Hamels hit with one out and two men on in the inning because he wanted Hamels to have a shot at the win. Hamels executed a one-out bunt with two men on base and Ben Revere followed with a two-out, two-run double off the chalk in left to give the Phils a lead they never relinquished.
“Not only can he handle the bat and bunt but also I wanted to give him another chance for a win,” Sandberg said of his decision to stick with Hamels instead of using a pinch-hitter in the seventh. “I thought that would be big for him.”
Hamels appreciated the sentiment, but said, “Personal wins are something I don’t focus on much. It’s more for the team. Starting a winning streak.”
The Phillies have won two in a row for just the second time this season.
Odubel Herrera continued to swing the bat well with three hits and an RBI. Carlos Ruiz had four hits, including a key, hit-and-run single in the Phillies’ three-run seventh.
Chase Utley continued to have trouble finding hits as his average slipped to .113. Utley, however, did hit three balls hard, two to the warning track in right-center.
“It’s unbelievable how many balls he’s hit on the nose,” Sandberg said.
Utley hasn’t smashed any helmets in frustration. But …
“Some bats have paid the price,” Sandberg said. “Very understandable. It’s frustrating to have good solid at-bats like that and have nothing to show for it.”