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 Hamels' control disappeared for the second time in three outings and the left-hander walked five over six innings of the Philadelphia Phillies' 2-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night.
"I'm just not executing when I need to," Hamels said. "That's my biggest issue so far, the walks. For me it's just to be able to go out, execute pitches and stop the walks. I have to correct what I can correct and that's what's going to make me a better player."
Hamels (1-5), who walked six two starts ago, on April 28 against the New York Mets, gave up two runs on six hits and struck out three.
Nearly half of Hamels' 23 walks in 51 2-3 innings this season have come in the two outings.
"I'm putting myself in bad counts to where I'm giving the opposing team and the hitters opportunities to get hits, to look for a better pitch that I have to throw as opposed to just being able to throw pitches that I know I am capable of throwing and executing," Hamels said.
Despite his wildness, Hamels could still have won the game or at least ended up with a no-decision if not for some poor baserunning in the seventh.
Delmon Young reached on an infield single and was forced at second on a fielder's choice by Domonic Brown. Carlos Ruiz looped a single to center to end Arizona starter Patrick Corbin's night, and pinch-hitter John Mayberry greeted Matt Reynolds with a line single to left to load the bases.
Pinch-hitter Kevin Frandsen followed with what should have been a bloop single to right. But Mayberry, unsure if the ball was going to be caught by Parra, hesitated between first and second and was forced out easily at second when Parra threw in front of him to second.
"It was a softly hit ball that I'm looking at the second baseman in pursuit (of)," Mayberry said. "I thought he might have a play on it when he lunged at it at the last second. I kind of took a giant step back and that ultimately ended up costing me second base."
Rollins hit a pop fly into short left that Didi Gregorius caught over his shoulder to end the inning.
"We just didn't get the job done," said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. "We were standing there. We had our chances but we couldn't do it. The game was sitting right there for us."
It was a tough result on a landmark day for Manuel, who set a franchise record with his 1,332nd game as the club's skipper. The 69-year-old Manuel, the 51st manager in the team's 123-year history, passed Gene Mauch, who managed Philadelphia from 1960 to 1968.
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Corbin (5-0) scattered four hits and allowed one run to lower his ERA to 1.75. The left-hander became the first pitcher to throw at least six innings and allow two or fewer runs in his first seven starts of the season since Ubaldo Jimenez had 12 straight such outings for the Colorado Rockies in 2010.
Heath Bell pitched a scoreless ninth, retiring the side with one hit on seven pitches, for his third save in as many nights since taking over for injured closer J.J. Putz.
The Diamondbacks matched a season high with their fourth straight win.
After trading zeros with Hamels through the first four innings, Corbin gave the Diamondbacks a 1-0 lead in the fifth. After Martin Prado and Gerardo Parra started the inning with consecutive singles and Cliff Pennington hit a soft bouncer back to Hamels, Corbin drove in Prado on an RBI groundout to short.
Arizona made it 2-0 in the sixth. Cody Ross doubled to left, Miguel Montero walked and Prado reached on a fielder's choice with Ross moving to third. Parra's swinging bunt along the first-base line allowed Ross to sprint home.
David Hernandez pitched a perfect eighth, with help from the Diamondbacks' exaggerated shift against Ryan Howard. Howard pounded a bouncer into right field which Pennington chased down to throw out the Phillies' slugger by a step.
NOTES: Parra also threw out Young trying to stretch a single into a double in the second. . Gregorius has hit safely in 11-of-12 games. ... Before the game, Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said Putz will not need surgery on his strained right elbow. Putz was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with what was revealed by an MRI exam to be a sprained UCL ligament and irritated nerve. Putz was sidelined by a similar injury in 2011, missing four weeks. ... Diamondbacks 2B Aaron Hill, out since April 9 with a broken hand, has been ordered by team doctors to keep his soft cast on for another week after Hill experienced pain when he tried to pick up a bat. Hill visits the doctor again Sunday and will have a CT exam performed on Monday. ... Phillies RHP Tyler Cloyd will make his first start of the season Friday against Kennedy and the Diamondbacks. Cloyd, who is taking the rotation spot of injured ace Roy Halladay, was 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA in six appearances for Triple-A Lehigh Valley after going 2-2 in six starts for the Phillies late last season. Kennedy is 1-0 with a 1.06 ERA in two career starts at Chase Field against Philadelphia. . To make room for Cloyd, the Phillies optioned LHP Joseph Savery to Lehigh Valley. Savery appeared in one game for Philadelphia, walking one and striking out one.
[Associated
Press; By JONATHAN DALTON]
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