There are less than two weeks remaining until baseball's July 31 trade deadline. It's not exactly the best time for Cole Hamels to be in the biggest funk of his career.
The Phillies' biggest trade chip pitched just the first three innings Sunday in an 8-7 win over Miami at Citizens Bank Park. Hamels allowed five runs on eight hits. His performance was easier to swallow after Jeff Francoeur hit a two-run, walk-off homer in the ninth.
The pitcher's performance seems to dwindle as the trade deadline creeps closer, but Hamels is still a proven commodity. The lefthander's ERA has been under 3.