NewsHamels reminds Pendleton of Glavine
Atlanta (36-40) vs. Philadelphia (39-35), 7 p.m. ET
By Adam Rosenberg / MLB.com
07/01/09 1:28 AM ET
ATLANTA -- Braves hitting coach Terry Pendleton knows what to look for when evaluating left-handed pitchers. After all, he played third base for Atlanta while 300-game winner Tom Glavine baffled hitters in the 1990s. When the Braves take on the Phillies in the second game of their three-game series at Turner Field, Pendleton will have another chance to see a talented lefty with loads of potential. Cole Hamels will take the mound for the Phillies while trying to improve his career record against the Braves to 8-3. The Braves will counter with Jair Jurrjens, who has been victimized by poor run support during his winless June. "He's tough," Pendleton said of Hamels. "He can go after lefties and righties and he can control where he wants to throw it. He's got that great changeup. When he has the fastball and curveball going, he can beat anybody on any given night." Although Hamels and Glavine are as different physically as two athletes could be, Pendleton sees similarities between the 25-year-old Phillies ace and the future Hall of Famer. "Hamels throws pretty hard, but Glavine threw around 92-93 [mph] when he came up, too," Pendleton said. "But they both have that nasty changeup. Hamels' changeup makes him who he is. What makes him so good is being able to throw it in a certain location. That's what made Glavine great, too." While Glavine is generally considered one of the best left-handers of all time, Pendleton thinks Hamels compares favorably to the former Braves great. In fact, Pendleton considers Hamels ahead of Glavine at this stage of his career. "He might be a little further along than Glavine right now, to be honest with you," Pendleton said. "I remember seeing him a few years ago before he got to the big leagues. He came over and pitched against us in a Spring Training game. We were all wondering who the heck this kid was because we could tell his stuff was going to be pretty darn good. It took Glavine more time to develop before he became great." Hamels has enjoyed quite a bit of success against Atlanta in his career, posting a 7-3 record and a 3.42 ERA. The Braves beat him on May 8 in Philadelphia, but managed just two runs off him in six innings. Of Braves regulars with at least 15 at-bats against Hamels, only Chipper Jones and Brian McCann are hitting over .300 against him. However, Hamels is coming off of a tough outing against the Blue Jays in which he lasted just 4 2/3 innings and surrendered four earned runs. Considering the season-long struggles of the Braves' offense, going up against a pitcher who finished 2008 with 14 wins and a 3.09 ERA is hardly welcome. However, facing Hamels is one time where Atlanta's aggressive offensive strategy could pay off. Pendleton says the way to attack Hamels is often by getting him early in the count. "He's not really repetitious," Pendleton said. "We have gone back and looked at charts and tried to see where he throws pitches. You have to go up and try to see the ball and hit the ball. If you get two strikes on you, you have to be aware of that changeup." Pitching matchupATL: RHP Jair Jurrjens (5-6, 2.93 ERA)
As June concluded, Jurrjens' luck showed no signs of improving. The Curacao native took the loss against the Red Sox on Friday, despite going eight innings and allowing just three earned runs on seven hits. Jurrjens went winless in June, despite allowing just 12 earned runs in 29 1/3 innings (3.68 ERA). The 23-year-old will try to end his winless streak against a Phillies team that he threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings against on April 7. PHI: LHP Cole Hamels (4-4, 4.44 ERA)
Hamels did not fare well against the Blue Jays in his last outing. The left-hander exhausted 105 pitches in the start, lasting just 4 2/3 innings. He took the loss and surrendered four runs on eight hits. When Hamels was removed from the game by manager Charlie Manuel in the fifth, he let his emotions show by arguing with the the home-plate umpire, resulting in an ejection. In 12 career starts against the Braves, Hamels is 7-3 with a 3.42 ERA. Tidbits
With their win on Tuesday, the Braves are 5-3 in extra-inning games this season...Martin Prado had a big night, going 4-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs. The home run snapped an 11-game homerless streak, and his RBI single in the third inning snapped the Braves' 0-for-29 streak with runners in scoring position. ... Before giving up back-to-back homers in the eighth, Mike Gonzalez had only given up two homers all season. ... Both Yunel Escobar and Nate McLouth were late scratches from Tuesday's lineup. Gregor Blanco went 3-for-5 with a triple and two runs scored while filling in for McLouth. Tickets
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• 640 WGST, Project 9-6-1 Up next
• Thursday: Braves (Javier Vazquez, 5-7, 3.04) vs. Phillies (J.A. Happ, 5-0, 3.00), 7 p.m. ET
• Friday: Braves (Kenshin Kawakami, 4-6, 4.25) at Nationals (Ross Detwiler, 0-4, 5.24), 6:35 p.m. ET
• Saturday: Braves (Tommy Hanson, 4-0, 2.48) at Nationals (John Lannan, 5-5, 3.45), 1:05 p.m. ET
Adam Rosenberg is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
