Hamels Can't Get Help, Phils Fall 1-0

For the second straight weekend, Cole Hamels found himself on the wrong end of a 1-0 game against the Mets. This time, instead of Johan Santana, it was R.A. Dickey who threw the gem for New York, facing only 29 batters and throwing only 105 pitches in a complete game, one-hit shutout. Hamels pitched extremely well, going the distance himself, but a sixth-inning double by Carlos Beltran plated David Wright, and that was all the offense Dickey needed.

The Phillies were never even close to threatening. Wilson Valdez walked with one out in the third, but Hamels popped out trying to sacrifice him to second. Hamels himself managed the night’s only hit with a single to right with one out the sixth inning, but a fielder’s choice and a fly out negated the threat, if you can call it that. A true pitcher’s duel, this game was over in just 2 hours, 9 minutes, including an eight-minute delay to determine if a Mike Hessman fly ball was interfered with by a fan. Bizarrely, the umpires awarded Hessman third base–if the fan interfered, it would be ruled a double. If not, it would be a home run. Apparently he sorta-kinda-touched the ball. At any rate, Hamels managed to stay loose while the umpires iced him in the video room and shut down the Mets in the fifth inning.

Dickey’s outing earned a 91 on ESPN’s game score, developed by Sabermetric guru Bill James. That ties it for the ninth-best pitching performance on the year, behind the no-hitters by Dallas Braden, Roy Halladay, and Matt Garza, along with four one-hit shutouts, most recently Brandon Morrow’s 17-strikeout seal-clubbing on Sunday, and Travis Wood’s near-perfect game against the Phillies in July.

The loss, coupled with another 1-0 game between the Braves and Dodgers in Atlanta, leaves the Phillies three games back with 47 to play. La Furia Roja looks to bounce back tomorrow against newly-recalled Pat Misch, who will be opposed by Halladay.