Phillies ace left-hander Cole Hamels was masterful against the Nationals on Saturday afternoon. Hamels held the Nats to just one run on five hits in eight innings, walking one and striking out five along the way. He threw 104 pitches, with 73 going for strikes.
The only run to score on Hamels came in his final inning on an RBI-double by Ian Desmond. Hamels was able to quiet the team that leads the National League in scoring.
"They're a great lineup," Hamels said, per MLB.com. "One through nine, they've got some pitchers who hit. Every single one of them can start a rally faster than you can possibly imagine, so you just have to keep bearing down with them, you can't give in. Sometimes you look at the National League as being the weaker division, but that kind of team is an American League-style team."
Hamels (5-3) lowered his season ERA from 3.24 to 2.98. He's set to make his next start Friday against the Rockies.