Pirates bow to Phils in 10th
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Cole Hamels appears to be in regular-season form.
Hamels threw four-hit ball into the fourth inning for the Philadelphia Phillies in a 5-4, 10-inning win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.
“My changeup is going really well,” Hamels said. “It’s my main pitch. It’s the reason why I’m here. It’s always been a pitch I can go to in any count. I’ve always had enough confidence in it that it’s always moving and at the right speed. But unfortunately I can’t throw it every pitch and I have to improve the other three.”
The 28-year-old left-hander struck out two and walked none.
Phillies outfielder Luis Montanez hit a game-ending homer off Pittsburgh right-hander Michael Dubee leading off the 10th inning.
Hamels, who can be a free agent for the first time in his career at the end of the season, repeated a mantra he made at the start of spring training: He is not going to put a demand on getting a new deal complete before opening day.
“I’m not the type of guy that needs to put parameters and barriers,” Hamels said. “It’s a situation where I think I’m more focused on being able to go out and pitch. I think that’s what I know the team wants me to do. Our ultimate goal is to win a World Series, not play for a contract.”
Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence and Ty Wigginton also helped the Phillies offense.
With one on and one out in the fifth inning, Victorino drilled a two-run home run over the right field fence. The home run was the first for Victorino this spring.
Pence went 2 for 3 and scored the game’s first run on Wigginton’s double in the second inning. Wigginton, making his first start at second base, also walked twice.
The Pirates rallied from a 4-0 deficit with a three-run sixth inning. Josh Harrison, Casey McGehee and Rod Barajas had three consecutive hits off Philadelphia right-hander Dave Bush.
In the seventh, Pittsburgh center fielder Starling Marte led off with a home run to tie the game. The home run was the second this spring for Marte and it also gave him a hit in eight consecutive at-bats.
Marte’s run ended in the 10th inning, when he flew out to left field. Marte is 9 for 12 at the this spring.
“I was aware (of the streak), but I wasn’t thinking about it,” Marte said through an interpreter. “I just tried to connect and put the ball in play.”
In his second start, Pittsburgh right-hander James McDonald allowed one run on two hits in three innings.
“It’s getting better,” McDonald said. “I’m starting to feel a better rhythm.”
Like Hamels, McDonald was working on his changeup Wednesday afternoon. The 27-year-old McDonald said he didn’t have a great changeup throughout the 2011 season.
“There were flashes of it here and there,” McDonald said. “So I told myself I really wanted to work on that this spring, to be able to throw it whenever and against whoever I want. Righties, lefties, it shouldn’t matter. That was a pitch that was real big for me coming up through the minors. It was something I could fall back on.”
Notes: Pittsburgh assigned RHP Gerrit Cole to minor league camp. Cole was the top overall draft pick in 2011. . Pirates RHP Daniel Cabrera (forearm tightness) threw a 15-pitch batting practice Thursday morning. Cabrera is scheduled to pitch one inning in a “B” game Saturday against the Minnesota Twins.
