PHILADELPHIA — In his first six starts this season, Cole Hamels didn't do much to increase his trade value.
Entering Friday, only three pitchers in all of baseball had given up more than his eight home runs and he was 1-3 with a 4.14 ERA. The New York Mets, whom Hamels has dominated in his last four starts, compiling a 0.93 ERA, might have been just what he needed to set himself straight.
Hamels threw 104 pitches over seven innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out eight as the Phillies topped the Mets 3-1 to begin a 10-game homestand at Citizens Bank Park.