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Hamels outduels Maddux as Phils top Padres

Apr 30, 2008 - 5:07 AM By Vince DiGregorio PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Cole Hamels outdueled Greg Maddux and denied him his 350th career win.

Hamels allowed two runs on five hits in 7 1/3 strong innings as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the San Diego Padres, 7-4, and denied Maddux in his third straight attempt at 350 career wins.

Hamels (3-3) walked two, struck out six and was aggressive from the start, retiring 11 of the first 12 batters he faced with a walk. Adrian Gonzalez got a two-out single in the fourth inning off Hamels for the first Padres hit, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double to end the inning.

Hamels threw first-pitch strikes to 22 of the 27 batters he faced.

"If you can throw a first-pitch strike, you definitely have the advantage and that's something that I've always stressed," said Hamels, who threw 73 of 97 pitches for strikes. "Throwing that first pitch strike, which I was able to do a lot, helped out."

The 24-year-old left with a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning and runners on first and third and one out. J.C. Romero replaced Hamels and walked Brian Giles to load the bases. Tom Gordon came on for Romero and gave up an RBI grounder to Tadahito Iguchi before getting the third out.

Philadelphia broke the game open with two outs in the bottom of the eighth with four runs to go up, 7-2. Carlos Ruiz' two-run double off the wall in right-center field highlighted the frame.

Hamels downplayed his matchup against a future Hall-of-Fame pitcher.

"It's something that I don't think about," Hamels said. "Obviously, with the opportunity that I have to face him is something nice because he was a guy I grew up with. Getting a win over Greg Maddux or anybody is huge."

Maddux also downplayed his attempt for 350 wins.

"I've been on extra-credit for five or six years now," Maddux said. "This game is hard enough to succeed in with out pitching for results. I stopped pitching for results a long time ago.

"I know everyone makes a big deal about it, but to me, I'm just trying to pitch and see how good I could be that night. That's it."

Maddux (2-2) allowed three runs and scattered eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out two and threw 91 pitches. The righthander was also was attempting to win his 30th career game against Philadelphia.

"If you look at any milestone, some happen sooner than others," Padres manager Bud Black said. "Greg will get his 350th win. He pitched well enough to win (tonight).

"He just went up against a guy who threw the ball well and we couldn't really break through against Hamels."

Maddux left trailing, 2-1, in the seventh after Hamels singled to put runners on first and third with one out. Cla Meredith entered and surrendered a sacrifice fly to Jayson Werth that increased Philadelphia's margin to 3-1.

The Phillies manufactured a run in the first to take a 1-0 lead. Maddux issued a rare four-pitch walk to Eric Bruntlett with one out. Bruntlett stole second and one out later, scored on a broken-bat single to left by Ryan Howard.

Philadelphia added another run in the third when Werth tripled off the base of the right field fence with one out. Bruntlett followed with an RBI single to right through a drawn-in infield to make it, 2-0.

The Phillies had a chance to increase the lead in the frame, but Scott Hairston made a diving catch in deep center to rob Howard of extra bases to end the inning.

Hairston got the Padres on the board with a two-out, solo home run off Hamels in the fifth. Hairston later added a two-run blast off Ryan Madson in the ninth.