Cole Reversal

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With the Phillies heading off on their first lengthy road trip of the season, how do you fix the Phillies lack of production today with runners in scoring position? "Play," Charlie Manuel said after the Phillies lost by a final of 2-0 this afternoon to drop their first series of the season. "Let somebody get hits with guys on base. That's how you fix it. I haven't figured out a way yet to help guys get a hit in a game," Manuel added.

On a day on which Cole Hamels was fantastic, the offense failed to offer any support. Fans would call that frustrating, but Hamels offered a differing opinion, calling it all part of the game. Cole was mediocre in his first two starts of the season and earned wins, yet today he pitches eight great innings and got the loss. Funny how that works.

Charlie Manuel was encouraged by Hammels outing this afternoon, "The way he handled the whole game, his pitch count and everything, he
made good quality pitches, he didn't have that inning where he spends
anywhere from 25-35 pitches. That's what allowed him to go deep into the
game."

"He had real good command and he threw quality strikes low in the strike zone. He struck out some guys on some real tough pitches," the Phils skipper said.

Fans who were ready to trade Hamels to Toronto for Roy Halladay's old locker can relax a bit this afternoon, just like we said to do last week.

Cole's curveball was decent today, and his cutter worked well on a number of occasions, although it was a cutter in to Uggla that Cole hung a bit and the Marlins second baseman lifted down the line in left that proved to be the difference in the game.

Overall, this one certainly wasn't on Cole, Manuel said, "I felt like he had good stuff. Made some real good pitches today, made
pitches definitely when he had to. He pitched a good game."

So in a frustrating loss on a day when the bats fell silent, at least Phillies fans can be encouraged that Cole Hamels seems to have found a nice little groove. They're going to need much more of that going forward.

As far as the bats? Manuel's not worried, "Hitting comes and goes. It always has. Ever since there's been
baseball, it's kinda what happens."

So, after two slow games for the bats, the offense should be scheduled to return sometime on Tuesday in Atlanta, right?

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