On a night when Cole Hamels threw a complete game victory, Jayson Werth made his first return to Philadelphia, and Jimmy Rollins returned to lead-off, it was Raul Ibanez who loomed the largest, breaking an 0-35 hitting slump with a double. Whew! It should have been an RBI as well but the ball hopped into the stands, forcing Ryan Howard to stop at third. Ibanez added another double later that did get him an RBI.
Hamels was locked in from the start, giving up just one run on five hits, walking one, and striking out six. He needed just 108 pitches to finish the game. He also tripled and singled and scored the first run of the game. Hamels is now 4-1 on the season, with a 1.42 ERA in his last five games.
Jayson Werth received a mix of cheers and boos when he first came to the plate, doffed his cap to the cheers, and with that got a standing ovation. It was pretty cool. He went to his regular spot in right field to a chorus of cheers and another doff of the cap. When playing in Philadelphia, Jayson had always had a great dynamic with the right field crowd and they did not forget that.
In Chicago, meanwhile, Francisco Liriano of the Twins was pitching a no-hitter against the flailing White Sox. Liriano walked six but held the Sox hitless and scoreless in the 1-0 win. It was the first ho-hitter of the season.
