PHILLIES NEWS

After opening the season with two stellar starts you would think that the Phils' Cole Hamels would be 2-0 on the season or at least 1-0, but alas the Phils bullpen brokedown in the both games, blowing leads after Hamels left the game with a chance to win. Thus, instead of two wins he was left with two no-decisons and basically nothing to show for his efforts. This time however, it would be different. Jimmy Rollins hit his NL leading 6th homerun, Chase Utley homered and drove in a run in the 6th inning which wound up being the game winner, the Phils bullpen pitched 3 scoreless innings although the last one was pretty shaky (Flash Gordon got in a jam in the top of the 9th and nearly blew the save) , and the Phils hung for an 8-5 win, their first, yes first, win at home on the season. Ironically, out of his 3 starts thus far this was Hamels worst as he allowed 5 runs and 8 hits in 6 innings, and twice allowed the Astros to come from behind just after the Phils had given him a lead. In fact, he won only because of Chase Utley's RBI double in the bottom of the 6th inning, just after he had left the game. Still, a win is a win and the Phils need every one they can get at this point as they have now improved to only 3-8. In other exhilerating news, Freddy Garcia has finally been activated from DL by the Phils, and will make his first start as a Phil tomorrow, provided the game doesn't get rained out by the noreaster that's supposed to hit town tomorrow, but that's another story alltogether.