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Hamels Steady As Ever In Game 1 Win

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 23, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG – Cole Hamels has enjoyed a steady climb up the ranks of the top left-handed pitchers in baseball. But he has used the stage of the 2008 playoffs as his coming-out party.

Hamels, the 17th overall pick in the 2002 draft, two spots behind Tampa Bay Game 1 starter Scott Kazmir, used a steady diet of change-ups on Wednesday to keep the Rays high-powered postseason offense in check. In seven innings, Hamels limited Tampa Bay to five hits and two runs while striking out five to pick up the 3-2 victory in Game 1 of the World Series and give the Phillies a 1-0 series lead.

The win improved Hamels, 24, to 4-0 in the postseason this year with a 1.55 earned run average. The four victories ties the record for the third-most victories all-time in a single postseason behind Randy Johnson and Francisco Rodriguez.

"Cole is pretty good, man; I'm glad he pitches for us," Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel said. "He's been very consistent all year long. When I think about how he pitched tonight, that's kind of like a regular game for him. He can be a little bit better, he can be a bit sharper, but [Wednesday] he was pretty good."

It's been pretty much that way for Hamels, who carries himself with a quiet confidence that teammates pick up on. And with his performance in the playoffs, you won't get any arguments about his role on the pitching staff and the confidence his teammates have in his abilities.

"We had Cole Hamels on the mound for Game 1 of the World Series and he's our ace," said closer Brad Lidge, who picked up the save with a perfect ninth inning. "When your ace is on the hill, you have to make sure you produce and do the things you need to do and tonight we did that."

For a closer like Lidge, watching Hamels go through a night on the mound is a complete study in opposites.

"He's so calm and collected out there, it's just like he's playing catch," Lidge said. "I don't know how he does it. For a guy like me, I'm all hyped up and I use that emotion, but he's just so steady, I don't think anything rattles him. It's very impressive. I think he could have all the pressure of the world on him and he'd just be out there playing catch."

For the accomplishments Hamels has produced in the regular season with 29 victories the past two seasons, he is making a name for himself. In each of his four postseason starts he has pitched at least seven innings while allowing two or fewer runs in each. Hamels was also the winning pitcher in the Game 5 clincher against the Los Angeles Dodgers that sent the Phillies to the World Series for the first time since 1993.

He tried to soak in as much atmosphere as he could before stepping on the mound before he absorbed everything to channel it into a relaxed performance once it came time for his first pitch.

"I think going into the game, being somebody else's home crowd, you just have to take a step back and know that you have a job to do, no matter how loud it gets," Hamels said. "That's what I was able to do.

"I think I'll still kind of play it slow and easy until the World Series is over, until I really kind of get excited about it, just because that's the mindset I've always had about playing."

Reporter Erik Erlendsson can be reached at (813) 259-7835.

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