Cole Hamels looked cool and collected while allowing just two solo homers as the Phillies won the first of four in Milwaukee 7-2.
Hamels (14-7) scattered four hits and two walks while striking out two. He needed 111 pitches for his third complete game of the season.
With Chase Utley and Ryan Howard out with injuries, the Major League leading Phillies (92-48) got all the offense they needed from Hunter Pence. The Phillies right fielder knocked in three including an RBI double in the ninth and a go-ahead two-out, two-run triple off Brewers’ starter Chris Narveson (10-7) in the sixth.
The Phillies would add on three more in the sixth on RBI hits by John Mayberry, Jr., Carlos Ruiz and Ben Francisco to chase Narveson.
The Brew Crew lefty was staked to a one-run lead after a Yuniesky Betancourt solo shot in the fifth. Corey Hart also went yard in the sixth but that was all that Hamels would allow.
The National League Central leading Brewers (85-60) -- who are battling with Arizona for the second-seed in the NL playoffs (they entered the night 2 ½ games up on the Diamondbacks) didn’t get much from the middle of their order as MVP candidates Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder combined to go 1-for-8 with a strikeout.
The same teams do battle Friday night as aces do battle. The Phillies send Roy Halladay (16-5, 2.49 ERA) to the hill against his former Blue Jays teammate righty Shaun Marcum (12-5, 3.11).
