In Game 1 of the NLCS, the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to trust their youth. Clayton Kershaw, the 21-year-old lefty, will be on the mound to start the game. The Dodgers will play the game at home against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.
In the regular season, Kershaw’s record was only 8-8, however that doesn’t tell the tale of how well he pitched. He had a 2.79 ERA and totaled 185 strikeouts in 171 innings.
In Kershaw’s other postseason start, he gave up two earned runs in 6.2 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals. Versus the Phillies, Kershaw will go against …read more

After winning the first game of the series, the Philadelphia Phillies looked to take a commanding lead in the series against the Colorado Rockies by also taking Game 2. Didn’t happen.
After five innings, the Rockies had built a 4-0 lead thanks to a two-run blast by Yorvit Torrealba and a quality effort by starting pitcher Aaron Cook. The Phillies made a push but the Rockies were able to hold on for a 5-4 victory.
For Philadelphia, perhaps the biggest surprise was the average play by starting pitcher Cole Hamels. Last season, Hamels was dominant in the Phillies run to the World …read more

When you think of the Philadelphia Phillies, you likely first think about their imposing lineup. But the team’s pitching is going to have to be stellar if the team is going to win back-to-back World Series championships. On Friday against the New York Mets, the team’s pitching unit looked very good as the Phillies won 4-2.
To start the game, Cole Hamels went 6.2 strong innings — allowing only one earned run while striking out six. Chan Ho Park and Brett Myers set the table for the new closer Ryan Madson. Madson, who has replaced Brad Lidge as the closer, pitched …read more

Cole Hamels, the ace of the Philadelphia Phillies pitching staff, left Thursday’s game after getting hit by a liner. Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers hit the ball back up the middle and the ball hit Hamels on his left shoulder. The injury is currently being called a contusion of the left shoulder.
Hamels, who is left-handed, left the game after being hit. In the 3.1 innings he pitched against the Brewers, Hamels allowed four hits and two earned runs while striking out six batters.
It’s been a difficult start to the season for the 25-year-old. Last year, he played a vital …read more

Cole Hamels, the unquestioned ace of the Philadelphia Phillies pitching staff, won’t pitch the season opener due to an ongoing elbow issue. However, with his elbow improving, the Phillies are hopeful that the 25-year-old Hamels will be ready to pitch within the next two weeks.
Last season, Hamels was 14-10 with a 3.09 ERA as the Phillies won the 2008 World Series championship. The left-hander was 4-0 in the playoffs with a 1.80 ERA. In 35 postseason innings, Hamels had 30 strikeouts while only giving up 23 hits.
In the middle of March, the Phillies opted to give Hamels an anti-inflammatory shot …read more

The Pittsburgh Pirates haven’t exactly had the best luck when it comes to the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. In fact, the Pirates have really been unable to produce much with their draft selections, with the exception of a few players.
In today’s Titusville Herald, Seth Murphy takes a look back at some of the mistakes by the Pirates in the draft, but he really hammers on the 2002 draft, when Pittsburgh selected Ball State right-hander Bryan Bullington with the number one overall pick. Murphy writes about how the Pirates took Bullington over guys that are stars today, …read more