July 2 -- KING COLE, J-ROLL & THE SLUMPING PHILS

BY SCOTT LAUBER

ATLANTA -- Well, that was ugly, wasn't it?

If you hadn't heard (or if you wisely changed the channel before the last out was made), the Phillies were crushed last night, 11-1, by the Braves at Turner Field. And, for me, the story of the game started with the starter, Cole Hamels, who was roughed up for a second straight outing. Hamels gave up nine hits (seven singles), walked two, yielded as many runs (seven) as he did in five postseason starts last year, and didn't record an out in the fifth inning, marking his shortest non-injury-interrupted start since April 10 at Colorado. His fastball velocity, usually in the low-to-mid-90s, averaged in the high-80s, but before you ask, no, he isn't injured.

"I feel healthy," Hamels said, and after covering him for the past four years, I believe him (Hamels is one athlete who raises his hand and tells Charlie Manuel, Rich Dubee and the trainers when he feels something out of the ordinary). "My body feels good."

OK, fine. But, quite obviously, something is amiss. Over his last two starts against the Blue Jays and Braves, Hamels has allowed 11 runs on 17 hits in 8-2/3 innings for an 11.42 ERA. In five starts since his five-hit, complete-game shutout June 4 at Dodger Stadium, he has allowed 44 hits in 27-2/3 innings and has a 6.18 ERA.

"I'm not giving up hard hits," Hamels said when it was noted that he's allowed only 10 extra-base hits in his last five starts. "It's tough because I've been making good pitches. They've just been putting enough on it to get it through the hole or in the gap. That's the positive. I'm not getting crushed. I'm only a hair away from nine innings, complete-game shutout."

So, what is it then?

Hamels doesn't really know. Lately, he's been doing a lot of head-scratching, and before his next start, he said he intends to incorporate some video-watching, too. Regardless, it hasn't been smooth-sailing for Hamels since his World Series MVP performance last autumn. In spring training, he suffered an elbow injury that kept him from making his first career opening-day start. In April, he was knocked out of back-to-back starts after getting struck in the shoulder by a line drive and spraining his ankle while fielding a bunt. And now, this.

"It's a rough year. It's a challenging year," Hamels said. "You're put on a big pedestal when you win, when you win awards, and you expect more of yourself that you'll be able to do it every year. But you have those years where you kind of learn who you are and what you're going to be capable of."

In some ways, that's been true of the entire Phillies team. As much as winning the NL East -- and, ultimately, winning the World Series -- wasn't easy last season, the Phillies managed to avoid crippling injuries. They've already had one of those (Brett Myers) and enough nagging maladies (Brad Lidge, Raul Ibanez, Scott Eyre, Clay Condrey, Antonio Bastardo) this year to cause headaches they were able to avoid for most of last season.

But, before y'all begin to worry too much, consider this: On this date last year, the Phillies led the NL East by only 1-1/2 games. This year, despite their 4-13 record since June 11, they still have a half-game lead over the Marlins and a two-game lead over the Mets. So, yes, the Phillies have been rotten for the past three weeks, but the situation isn't dire. Not yet, at least.

***
Jimmy Rollins' self-assessement last night: "I got a walk. Stole a bag."

Hard to believe, but lately, that qualifies as a decent night for the 2007 NL MVP, whose slump has officially reached career-worst proportions. Rollins is 0-for-27, surpassing an 0-for-25 slump from June 18-24, 2002. He hasn't gotten a hit since June 18, and honestly, if that elusive next hit comes tonight, I may ask the organist who sits behind me in the press box at Turner Field if he knows the Hallelujah Chorus.