Sept. 3 -- MORE DECISION '08: HAMELS VS. METS?

BY SCOTT LAUBER

WASHINGTON -- So, Cole Hamels tossed 7-1/3 shutout innings here last night against the last-place Nationals. He allowed five hits. He threw 104 pitches. At one point, he retired 12 of 15 batters.

Doesn't sound too stressful, does it?

Hamels clammed up, though, when asked if he will be able to pitch Sunday night, on standard four days of rest, against the Mets and Johan Santana at Shea Stadium in a nationally televised game and a potential first-place showdown.

"I'm not going to give you guys an answer for that," Hamels said. "Sorry."

No problem, Cole. But that won't stop us from breaking down reasons why he should start Sunday night.

1. Yes, it's true that Hamels would be making his third consecutive start with the requisite four days between starts. And it's true that Hamels has done that only one other time this season, back in July before the All-Star break. And, yes, it's true that, because the Phillies aren't off again until Sept. 15, he'd have to make a fourth straight start on four days of rest Sept. 12 against the Brewers. And, yes, it's true that Hamels leads the NL with 203 innings pitched and has a checkered injury history. But four days rest is standard for starters. It's not like the Phillies are asking him to pitch on short rest. And it's the final month of the season, "go-time," as Hamels called it. If there's any time to push your arm, it's now.

2. Hamels actually has pitched better this season when he has four days between starts (8-2, 2.47 ERA) than five (4-5, 4.14).

3. What's the alternative? Kyle Kendrick has a 9.14 ERA in his past five starts, and he would be lined up to pitch Sunday. If Kendrick is replaced in the rotation, it likely would be rookie J.A. Happ. Happ opposed Santana in a July 4 start at Citizens Bank Park, and the Phillies actually won the game. But it's hard to imagine that happening again.

"I want Hamels on the Mets, and the reason is because that's a two-game swing," Charlie Manuel said. "This time of year, we've got to win some of those games in New York."

Said Hamels, "I've finally surpassed 200 innings. That's in their mind. It's in my mind. I truly want to be able to finish the season. I don't want to overextend myself because if I do that, it's not going to benefit the team. I haven't been a good teammate with the injuries I've gotten in the past. ... It's a sticky situation. I want to get past it so I never have to deal with injuries again. Extra days off have benefited me down the line. But I also know it's 'go-time.'"

Here's a look at how Hamels has fared in stretches of three or more consecutive starts on four days of rest:

June 11-21, 2006
vs. Washington, Tampa Bay, NY Yankees: 0-3, 6.32 ERA
July 29-Aug. 8, 2006
vs. Florida, St. Louis, Atlanta: 2-1, 2.21 ERA
April 26-May 16, 2007
vs. Washington, Atlanta, San Francisco, Chi. Cubs, Milwaukee: 4-1, 3.89 ERA
July 3-13, 2008
vs. Atlanta, St. Louis, Arizona: 1-1, 1.99 ERA

***
Within the notebook, we examined Chase Utley's collision with Nats catcher Jesus Flores. By all accounts, it was a clean play. It was even an admirable play, according to Manuel. "That's the way you play," he said. "I wish every one of my players played that way."

Would you say it was "old-school?"

"Don't say old-school. It's not old-school. That's good-school," Manuel said. "That's the way you play the game. Unless you want to put some rouge and makeup and lipstick on and say, 'Oh, I got run over.'"