Categories: 2009 RecapsPosts

Utley Powers Phils Despite Hamels’ Setback

Cole Hamels can’t buy a break. Luckily, the Phillies can’t buy a loss.

The Phillies won their fifth straight game, an easy 7-1 win over the Nationals. With the win, the Phillies assured at least a momentary tie for first place in the National League East.

The big story, obviously, was Hamels’ sprained ankle, suffered on a fielded bunt in the fifth inning. Up until then, Hamels had been cruising. He gave up just four hits and two walks, striking out four in 4.1 innings. It seemed there was no reason to think he’d have any setbacks. Now this injury might set him back a start or two, but it remains to be official.

Otherwise it was an all-positive win for the Phils. Chase Utley powered things with two home runs off John Lannan. Pedro Feliz launched a three-run home run in the third; Raul Ibanez added his seventh in the eighth.

Give big props to Chad Durbin, who kept his bullpen buddies rested after Hamels’ injury. Durbin gave up only an Adam Dunn home run in his 3.2 innings. Clay Condrey secured the game with a scoreless ninth.

Tim Malcolm

Tim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.