Hamels Spoils Werth's Return

Cole Hamels wheeled, dealed and dazzled Tuesday night as he led the Phillies to a 4-1 win over the Nationals.

Hamels (4-1) lowered his ERA to 2.66 with a five-hit, one-walk, six-strikeout performance. He even added a triple, single and a run scored on the offensive side of the ball.

"Being a pitcher, you're not supposed to hit," Hamels said. "We have a competition among the starters and I don't want to lose."

The lefty's only big blemish came in the seventh when he allowed an opposite field solo homer to Michael Morse.

Hamels great start wasn’t the big story coming into Tuesday night. Instead the focus leading up to the first pitch was on Jayson Werth. The Nats’ $126-million man returned to Philly for the first time since he lefts the Phightins for D.C.

Phillies fans greeted Werth with a smattering of boos when he came to the plate in the first. But the jeers quickly turned to cheers after Werth tipped his helmet to acknowledge the Phillies faithful.

"I was very grateful," Werth said. "I'll remember it for the rest of my life. It meant a lot to me."

Werth who is hitting just .226 this season looked a shell of the player he was in Philly going 0-for-3 with a walk at the plate and making gaffes in the field including bobbling the ball on a Jimmy Rollins triple and being way off the mark trying to throw out Rollins at home.

J-Roll was reinserted atop the lineup in hopes of sparking the mostly stagnant Phillies offense. Charlie Manuel’s move worked as Rollins went 2-for-4 with a run and RBI while former leadoff hitter Shane Victorino also went 2-for-4 with a run scored from the two-hole.

Raul Ibanez also broke out of his 0-for-35 slump with a fourth inning double. He would add an RBI double in the seventh for his first multi-hit game since April 15.

The Phillies face the Nats again Wednesday night when Vance Worley (1-0, .000) makes his second start of the season for the Phils. Jason Marquis (3-0, 2.62) opposes the young righty.

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