ST. LOUIS — Cole Hamels finally got some run support as the Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-1, in the first of a four-game series at Busch Stadium on Monday night.
The Phillies (8-12) have won two in a row for just the second time this season.
The Phils scored three runs while Hamels was in the game. That's just one fewer than they scored while he was in the game during his previous six starts dating to last season.
The Phils are 21-17 at new Busch Stadium, which opened in 2006.
Starting pitching report
Hamels pitched seven innings of one-run ball in earning his first win since Sept. 17. In six starts that followed that outing — two last season and four this season — Hamels had received just four runs of support.
Hamels (1-2) allowed four hits, three of them in one inning. He walked four (one intentionally) and struck out a season-high nine.
Cardinals right-hander John Lackey (1-1) carried a shutout into the seventh inning, but could not hold it.
Bullpen report
The tandem of Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon closed it out. Papelbon has five saves on the season and 111 as a Phillie. He needs one to tie Jose Mesa’s team record.
At the plate
The Phillies trailed, 1-0, before scoring three in the seventh. They got four hits against Lackey in that inning, including a two-out, two-run double by Ben Revere and a two-out, RBI single by Odubel Herrera, who had three hits on the night.
Carlos Ruiz had four hits, including a key hit-and-run single in the seventh. Ruiz entered the game hitting .196 and finished at .260.
Chase Utley went hitless to drop to .113, but he did hit three balls hard, including two to the warning track in right-center.
Hamels gave up three straight hits with two outs in the third, including an RBI single to Matt Holliday.
Injury update
Domonic Brown, recovering from Achilles tendinitis, is nearing the end of his minor-league rehab stint. Will he join the Phillies on Wednesday or be officially sent to the minors? Ryne Sandberg offered his thoughts (see story).
On the Cardinals’ side, it was announced that pitcher Adam Wainwright would miss the remainder of the season after rupturing his left Achilles tendon. The Cards will fill the opening in their rotation internally for now. If they eventually look to trade for a pitcher, Hamels would be a likely target.
Up next
Right-hander Severino Gonzalez makes his big-league debut Tuesday night against Cardinals right-hander Michael Wacha (3-0, 1.33).
After Monday night's game, the Phillies selected the contract of Gonzalez and optioned Hector Neris to Triple A Lehigh Valley.
The Phillies transferred Jonathan Pettibone (shoulder) to the 60-day disabled list to make room for Gonzalez on the 40-man roster.