Phillies Ace Cole Hamels Gets Shelled: Why Is Anyone Surprised?

Last night, Cole Hamels got hammered by the Colorado Rockies. And it wasn’t just a bad outing, it was terrible.

How terrible? Look at his line of 3.2 innings pitched, 11 hits, seven earned runs, one walk, and one strikeout and answer that for yourself.

And all of a sudden, Phillies Nation seems to be on the verge of jumping off the cliff. 

Well, to anyone who was paying attention this spring, this performance should not come as a shock. Hamels barely saw any action this spring. He felt a little discomfort in his left elbow, and he and the team were overprotective of his arm. 

Because of his lack of pitching in the spring, I wouldn’t expect Cole to be really ready to pitch until closer to May. He doesn’t have his velocity on his fastball yet, and without that, his changeup becomes much more hittable.

His location wasn’t bad last night, as he only walked one batter. He just doesn’t have the normal movement or zip on his pitches. 

We can all relax, though. Give him two more appearances, and we’ll again be enjoying the Cole Hamels we are used to.