Philadelphia lefty Cole Hamels tries to continue his mastery of the Cincinnati Reds on Monday when the Phillies start a three-game series with them at Great American Ball Park.
Hamels has gone 9-0 with a 1.59 ERA in 13 regular season starts versus the Reds and also has a postseason win against them to his credit. He did not get a decision against them on Wednesday, as he surrendered two runs and six hits in seven innings of a 5-4 win.
The last pitcher to win his first 11 career decisions - including the postseason - against any team was Jon Lester against the Orioles (14 straight) from August 13, 2006-April 28, 2011.
With a win on Monday, Hamels would become the first pitcher to win his first 11 decisions against the Reds since Roy Oswalt reeled off 15 straight from May 14, 2001 to September 1, 2005.
Hamels, who is 5-4 with a 2.88 ERA, has been one of the few bright spots for the Phils this season and comes into this one having pitched seven or more innings and allowing two runs or less in a career-best six consecutive starts.
It's the longest streak by a Phillies pitcher since Cliff Lee did it in 2011.
"I'm just trying to do what I can," Hamels said.
Philadelphia avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, as Jeff Francoeur's two-run double in the seventh carried the Phils to a 6-4 win.
"(Francoeur) came up big," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "Francoeur has really been a veteran presence in those situations."
It was just the fourth win in 16 tries for Philadelphia, which will hit the road for eight games. The Phillies, though, have dropped four in a row away from home.
Cincinnati, meanwhile, also avoided brooms on Sunday, as Johnny Cueto struck out nine in seven scoreless innings, and Jay Bruce drove in all four Reds runs in a 4-0 win over the San Diego Padres.
Cueto (4-4) had to get out of trouble early but retired 13 of the last 14 he faced to help the Reds avert a sweep.
"Every team needs that guy to come out and play stopper," Bruce said of Cueto. "And he did today."
Hoping to keep the Reds in the win column on Monday will be righty Mike Leake. who flirted with a no-hitter against the Phillies his last time out, but ended up with a no-decision. Leake allowed his first hit with two outs in the seventh and ended up yielding a pair of runs and three hits with nine strikeouts in eight innings of his team's 5-4 loss.
Leake had lost his three previous starts and is 2-4 on the year with a 4.40 ERA.
"Just my head was off for a few games, just something I can't probably explain what was going on," Leake said. "It was just a matter of coming back and re- finding what was making me do well."
Philadelphia took two of three from the Reds last week.
[SportsNetwork.com]
