Hamels Leaves Early With Right Hand Contusion, Phils Drop to Sox 5-2

Posted by Danielle Wilson

I don't even want to talk about what I just watched. I didn't even bother to include a picture today. It was just…bad.

Sure, it looked promising from the start: Cole Hamels, the best lefty in the National League against Jon Lester, whose stats are very similar to Cole's this season. I smelled a pitcher's duel before the game even started.

HUGE disappointment for the Phillies, Cole Hamels was taken out of the game after four innings to get an x-ray done on his right hand (he's left-handed) which was drilled with a liner. The x-rays were negative, thank God, and Cole will make his next start.

David Herndon came in for thre fifth inning and allowed three earned runs to score on five hits. 3-0 Boston. Drew Carpenter pitched a scoreless sixth, and struck out two.

As for Lester, he was throwing one-hit ball going into the seventh, that one hit being a single by Chase Utley in the bottom of the fourth. He allowed a single to Howard in the seventh, and walked Victorino, but did not allow a run to score.

Carpenter stayed in for the eighth, giving up solo home runs, both to right field, to Dustin Pedroia and Jason Varitek.

Scott Mathieson loaded the bases in the ninth during a 5-0 game, but retired the side without allowing a run to score. The Phillies could not come back to score six runs in the bottom of the ninth, but Ryan Howard did launch a two-run homer to the second deck in right field to make it a 5-2 game. Raul Ibanez struck out to end the game, and the Phils dropped game three to the Red Sox. Frustrating loss, but, they still took the series.

The Phils will travel to Toronto to take on the Blue Jays tomorrow afternoon. Kyle Kendrick will take the mound against Ricky Romero.