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 Jason Kipnis hit a three-run homer, Nick Swisher and Mike Aviles also went deep to back Corey Kluber, and the Cleveland Indians beat the Philadelphia Phillies 10-4 Wednesday.
A day after rookie Jonathan Pettibone held the Indians in check, Hamels got roughed up by one of the league's highest-scoring offenses. Cleveland had been in a slight funk, scoring just seven runs in its previous four games.
Hamels (1-6) allowed five runs and six hits in five innings. The three-time All-Star and 2008 World Series MVP has a 4.61 ERA, and the Phillies are 1-8 in his starts. Hamels had six straight quality starts before this one, with a 2.41 ERA in that span.
"You have to go out there and execute pitches," Hamels said. "I wasn't able to do that early on. I think any time you go 3-2 to pretty much the whole lineup over and over, you're not putting yourself into a good spot. I was pitching myself into situations where most likely they're going to get the hits, they're going to get the walks, they're going to score the runs."
Last July, the Phillies gave Hamels a six-year, $144 million extension to forgo free agency. He made his first opening-day start this season, but hasn't pitched like a No. 1 guy.
"I feel healthy, I feel strong," he said. "I'm able to throw all four pitches for strikes at times."
Kluber (3-2) gave up three runs and six hits in six innings. He rebounded nicely after allowing eight runs in 4 2-3 innings against Detroit in his previous start.
Jimmy Rollins drove in three runs for Philadelphia, which ended a three-game winning streak.
The surprising Indians have won 12 of 16 and are 22-17 under first-year manager Terry Francona.
"We drove his pitch count up early," Francona said. "We made him earn his outs and we scored early. It's great to work the count and have something to show for it."
Mark Reynolds hit a two-run double with two outs in the third to give the Indians the lead. Kipnis doubled and Asdrubal Cabrera walked before Reynolds hit a drive to left to knock them in.
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John Mayberry Jr. singled in the third, advanced on a sacrifice and scored when Rollins lined a two-out single to right to cut it to 2-1.
Rollins delivered another clutch two-out hit in the fifth. After singles by Carlos Ruiz and Mayberry, he ripped a two-run double to right to cut the deficit to 5-3.
Aviles lined a homer to left in the fourth for a 3-1 lead.
Swisher connected in the fifth, driving a 2-0 pitch a few feet inside the left-field foul pole to make it 5-1.
Cabrera hit a two-run single with two outs in the sixth off Jeremy Horst to extend Cleveland's lead to 7-3.
Kipnis took Raul Valdes out to right in the eighth.
The Phillies are 12-4 when Pettibone, Kyle Kendrick or John Lannan start. They're 7-17 in games started by Hamels, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, making a combined $64.5 million this year.
"I think he's going to get it figured out," manager Charlie Manuel said of Hamels. "He's having a hard time putting the ball where he wanted it to go. That's what I saw. He thought he had some close pitches. He didn't get them. He was having trouble locating the ball with his pitches."
NOTES: The Phillies signed three-time All-Star Carlos Zambrano to a minor league deal. The right-hander will report to extended spring training this week. ... The Indians won three of four interleague meetings this season against the Phillies, outscoring them 32-12. ... Halladay was scheduled for shoulder surgery in California. He hopes to return to Philadelphia's rotation this year.
[Associated
Press; By ROB MAADDI]
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