'Nuff Said

I wrote about 800 words on Cole Hamels' complete game shutout for the newspaper. Orlando Hudson summed it up in considerably less.

"He stuck it up our (rear ends) the last two times we faced him," the Dodgers infielder said. "What more can you say?"

The Dodgers didn't need to say much. Joe Torre took care of it in the fifth inning when he intentionally walked Carlos Ruiz with a runner on third and one out. It is a strategic move usually reserved for desperate situations: hope that Hamels either grounds into a double play or bunts Ruiz over and then take your chances with Jimmy Rollins with two outs.

Torre admitted afterward he did it because he realized how good Hamels was a pitching, and that a 2-0 lead just might hold up. In the end, a 1-0 lead would've held.

How good was Hamels? Consider this: the minimum number of batters a pitcher can face in a complete game is 27. Hamels faced 29.

Final line: nine innings, five hits, five strikeouts, no walks, and a mere 97 pitches.

That's seven straight for the Phillies, who are now 12 games over .500.

I'm out for tonight.