Phillies Win on Strength of Triple Play, Cole Hamels

Reds broadcaster Jeff Brantley mentioned during tonight's Phillies/Reds game that your chance of witnessing a triple play on a grounder to third base is about .0006%. This must mean that if you were at the Great American Ballpark on Saturday night, you should probably go ahead and play powerball.

David Ross, who is having a tough season at the dish, came up in the bottom of the fifth inning with runners on first and second with nobody out. When his turn at bat was done, it was already the top of the sixth as he grounded into the aforementioned rare 5-4-3 triple play during the Phillies 4-1 victory (Abraham Nunez, to Chase Utley, to Wes Helms).

Charlie Manuel shook up the lineup, batting Shane Victorino in the leadoff spot, and dropping Jimmy Rollins down to the third hole. It worked as the Phillies opened up the game with a two spot, then got some insurance with solo home runs from cleanup hitter Chase Utley (in the continued absence of Ryan Howard), and Aaron Rowand.

But let's face it: Manuel could draw the lineup out of a hat as long as Cole Hamels pitches like he did tonight, striking out 15 batters in his first ever complete game victory, striking out every lineup spot at least once. Hamels fell one strikeout shy of the Phillies' club record for a lefthander, a record held by none other than Steve Carlton. Of Hamels' 115 pitches, 82 were strikes. The young man is filthy.