Toronto @ Philadelphia preview
Citizens Bank Park
Last Meeting ( May 5, 2014 ) Toronto 3, Philadelphia 0
The success that came so easily for Cole Hamels for most of his career has eluded him lately. The 2008 World Series MVP will take his fifth shot at his 100th win on Tuesday when the Philadelphia Phillies wrap up their half of their four-game, home-and-home series with the Toronto Blue Jays. After breaking into the majors with a 9-8 record in 2006, Hamels posted an 82-52 mark over the next six years – with at least 10 wins in every season – until he bottomed out by going 8-14 in 2013.
Hamels has gotten off to a rough start in 2014 as well as he missed spring training and the first three weeks of the season with biceps tendinitis, dropped his first two outings and had his last scheduled turn pushed back from Sunday due to the flu. The Phillies haven’t made it easy on any of their pitchers recently by scoring three or fewer runs in five of their last six contests, including Monday’s 3-0 loss to the Blue Jays. Toronto’s win was only its fifth over the last 14 games despite averaging 5.4 runs.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, Sportsnet (Toronto), CSN Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Drew Hutchison (1-2, 3.82 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Cole Hamels (0-2, 6.75)
Hutchison remained winless in five turns since his season debut after taking the loss in Wednesday’s 4-2 setback at the Kansas City Royals. The 23-year-old yielded four runs on five hits over a season-high seven frames and has been very sharp away from home thus far, going 1-1 with a 2.28 ERA in four outings. Hutchison sustained an elbow injury that eventually required Tommy John surgery in his final appearance of the 2012 season versus the Phillies and will face an interleague foe for the first time since.
In his second outing of the season, Hamels was pounded for six runs on eight hits and five walks over 4 2/3 innings in last Tuesday’s 6-1 loss to the New York Mets. "It's an embarrassment because I'm not allowing my teammates to get into the game when (I’m) walking that many guys ... You don't give your team a chance to win in that case," Hamels told the Phillies’ official site. Hamels’ history against Toronto doesn’t bode well for him to turn things around as he is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in three all-time outings.
WALK-OFFS
1. If Toronto 3B Jose Bautista can reach base safely for the 33rd time in as many games on Tuesday, he will tie the Cincinnati Reds’ Joey Votto for the longest such streak to open the season since 2011.
2. Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins did not start on Monday to rest his sore right groin, but is expected back in the lineup on Tuesday.
3. Blue Jays SS Jose Reyes has more hits versus Philadelphia (181) than any other active major leaguer.
PREDICTION: Blue Jays 5, Phillies 2