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Hamels helps Phillies rebound by beating Giants

Jun 3, 2007 - 5:52 AM PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Cole Hamels has quickly assumed the role of ace for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Hamels hurled his second career complete game and Jimmy Rollins had an RBI triple as the Phillies snapped a four-game skid with a 5-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday.

With former ace Brett Myers being converted to closer and now injured, Hamels has assumed the role and prospered.

"It's always a goal of mine to go deep into ballgames," Hamels said. "Getting a complete game has been a key just because it's exciting. It's exciting to end the game with the crowd on a high note. I was pleased with the response they gave me."

The second-year starter allowed just two runs and five hits with four strikeouts and did not walk a batter. Both of Hamels' complete games have come this season. The first was on April 21 against Cincinnati when he struck out a career-high 15.

The 24-year-old, who beat the Giants on May 6, allowed a first-inning homer to Kevin Frandsen and a single to Barry Bonds, before retiring the next 11 hitters and 16 of 17 until Bonds doubled in the seventh. He also threw an astounding 78 of 97 pitches for strikes.

"You know you have your work cut out when you're going against him," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "He's just a fine young pitcher. We were maybe a little overly aggressive at times. We were hacking, but he's tough and he shut us down tonight." Hamels (8-2), who notched his National League-leading eighth win, has won seven of his last eight starts and helped the Phillies rebound from being shut out for the first time in a 13-0 loss on Friday.

"I try to go out there and win, no matter what the team's doing," Hamels said. "The past games don't affect me. When you have a tough loss, it's always important to go out and win. Even if you lose 1-0, if you can come back and answer and get the win, that's all that really matters."

Hamels finished up in style. After giving up a leadoff double to Frandsen in the ninth, he retired the next three batters to end the game, which included striking out Bonds swinging for the second out. Hamels refused to give in to the slugger, throwing changeups on all five pitches during the at-bat.

"I saw that he was ahead of my changeup, so I just kept throwing it until he showed me something else," Hamels said. "He was fighting it off and kept with it, so I just decided to drop it a little bit lower. He was showing me that he was still swinging hard, so I'm not going to give him a gift and throw a fastball. I wasn't going to give in."

Catcher Rod Barajas vouched for the effectiveness of Hamels' changeup.

"That at-bat should tell you how good this kid's changeup is," Barajas said. "There's only a handful of guys that can go out there and throw the same pitch five times in a row and have Barry not do anything with it."

The lefthander made one of his only mistakes to Frandsen, who hit a 3-2 pitch to left field for his first home run since September 15, 2006.

Meanwhile, Ryan Howard, who had been just 2-for-11 in the first four games of the seven-game homestand, drove in two runs for Philadelphia, which had lost four straight following a sweep of the Atlanta Braves.

Howard added an insurance run in the eighth inning with a RBI double that made it 5-2.

"When Howard's hitting, we become a completely different team," Manuel said.

The Phillies tied the game at 1-1 as Jayson Werth led off the fourth with an infield single,Chase Utley then doubled to right-center and Howard hit a routine fly ball that Bonds dropped.

"It just hit the palm of my glove," Bonds said. "I went back, turned my head, then lost it for a split second."

Werth scored and the error allowed Utley to advance to third. He then scored on a sacrifice fly by Pat Burrell for a 2-1 lead.

Rollins added to the lead with an RBI triple in the fifth - his eighth of the season - that scored Rod Barajas, who was hit by a pitch and sacrificed to second earlier in the frame.

Bengie Molina had an RBI double in the seventh for the Giants, who have lost five of eight.

Bonds remains nine shy of tying Hank Aaron's all-time home run record of 755.

Noah Lowry (5-5) allowed four runs and five hits in seven innings with one strikeout and two walks.

"They didn't get a lot of hits, which makes it more frustrating," Lowry said. "You give up four runs on five hits, that makes it tougher to swallow."