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Hamels, Phillies move closer to division title

Sep 23, 2008 - 1:35 PM ATLANTA (69-88) AT PHILADELPHIA (89-68), 7:05pm EDT

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- For the second year in a row, the Philadelphia Phillies are making September their own.

Winners of 10 of their last 11 games, the Phillies continue their push toward a second straight National League East title when they host the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday.

Philadelphia increased its lead in the NL East to 2 1/2 games over the New York Mets (86-60) on Monday with a 6-2 win over the Braves in the first game of the series.

Pat Burrell's three-run homer highlighted a four-run eighth inning to snap a 2-2 tie and give the Phillies their third win in a row.

Phillies ace Cole Hamels (14-9, 3.10 ERA) gets the start Tuesday against a squad he has dominated three times already this year. Last Thursday in Atlanta, the lefthander limited the Braves to two runs and six hits in six innings as the Phillies won, 4-3. Hamels has beaten the Braves in three of the four times he's faced them this season, including a four-hit shutout in May.

Lefthander Mike Hampton (2-3, 5.05), who hasn't won a game since August 16, starts for Atlanta. He was on the losing end of last Thursday's meeting with Hamels, though he worked seven strong innings. Hampton has allowed three runs or fewer in all but one of his last six starts.

The last week of the season is not only a chance for the Phillies to clinch another division title, it's also one final showcase for MVP candidate Ryan Howard. Despite a batting average that has hovered under .250 all season, Howard leads the majors with 46 homers and 141 RBI, including nine round-trippers and 27 RBI this month..

Howard is also six strikeouts away from breaking his own single-season record (199), set last season.