Thank you, Cole Hamels. I wanted a complete game shutout in Game 3 and that's exactly what you delivered last night. Hamels, who made his debut four years ago in Cincinnati, has always liked pitching there. Coming into last night's game, he had a 6-0 record and an ERA of 1.07 in seven starts against the Reds.
Last night was simply more of the same. Hamels, who was masterful, gave up five hits, struck out nine and walked none. Brandon Phillips led off the 9th with single to left, but Hamels then got slugger Joey Votto to ground into a doubleplay. That left former Phillie Scott Rolen. Hamels got him swinging on a 95-mph fastball to end the game and to send the Phillies to their third-consecutive NLCS series.
With that strike-out, too, Cincinnati offense: finis. Cincinnati defense: finis. The talented, upstart Cincinnati Reds: finis. The Reds were shut out in two of the three games.
The Phillies scored twice. Their first run came in the 1st, on yet another Reds' error. They scored their second in the 5th, on a Chase Utley homer that just crept over the wall. Utley now has more home run than any other second baseman in postseason history, with 10. And how could I forget the sparkling defensive play by Shane Victorino, on a hard liner by Brandon Phillips? Or that Hamels hit a long fly ball off of Aroldis Chapman in the 9th?
Up next, the Braves or the Giants, but that won't be till Saturday.
