Game Chat: The Season Must Go on for Hamels, Phillies in Twin Cities

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We already posted about the Twins today and how they don’t do anything particularly well – hitting, fielding, pitching, the whole shebang. Of course, the Phillies haven’t exactly been lighting the world on fire themselves in any one of these areas, either, which is why they too find themselves back below .500.

Michael Young can say the sky isn’t falling all he wants. Losing three straight to the Brewers is no way to get people excited about your operation.

There are still 98 games to go though. That’s not necessarily a call to stick by the Phillies in case that’s not your thing. You could choose to interpret the remark with an inflection of dread, so that it reads like Ugh, there are still 98 games to go. Regardless, the show will go on, and the Fightins will try to make things right again beginning tonight in Minnesota.

Cole Hamels (2-9, 4.56) takes the ball for the Phils, which I haven’t decided yet is a good or a bad thing. Hamels has been furiously tapping the reset button all year, and finally got the start he was looking for against the Marlins last Wednesday, lasting at least seven innings for the first time in a month in the win. We’ll see if he can build on the one-run, 11-strikeout effort, but consistency hasn’t been Cole’s thing.

The Twins are throwing P.J. Walters, a 28-year-old right-hander who has had largely unsuccessful stints in the Majors with three teams since ’09. In three starts for Minnesota this season however, he’s 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA.

I know what you’re thinking. The Phillies have never seen this Walters fellow before, so they won’t be able to touch him. Actually, Walters started one game in the Minnesota series last year, allowing four runs and failing to record an out before exiting the game with an injury. He never looked right in that outing, so not sure whether it means anything one way or the other.

First pitch is at 8:10. Come for the off-chance the Phillies resume their climb to respectability, stay for the possibility of a Domonic Brown fireworks display.

 

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