Mackanin thinks Phillies ace Hamels' bad outing affected by trade rumors
Cole Hamels had a career-worst outing for the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend, and manager Pete Mackanin has a theory about why he struggled so miserably.
"There's a lot going on, and it affected him," Mackanin said. "But I know he's much better than that. I mean, who knows, he may be pressing knowing the trading deadline is coming around and there are so many little things that players think about that you can't control."
Facing the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on Friday, Hamels lasted only 3 1/3 innings, and was battered for a career-high nine earned runs and 12 hits, which tied his previous career high.
"When you're not able to make the right pitches at the right time and you're leaving pitches out over the plate, confidence can get built, especially with a good team," Hamels said of the outing. "You're trying to execute, and when you don't necessarily execute, you at least have to know that some of those hits are going to go to somebody. Unfortunately, they had great at-bats. They were hitting the balls up the middle. They were staying on pitches no matter what I was throwing in that inning."
Hamels heads into the All-Star break at 5-7 with a 3.63 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 116 2/3 innings.
As for the tumultuous season it's been so far for him and the Phillies, Hamels said, frankly, "It's not a year that you can ever prepare for."
"He's not alone in his frustrations," Mackanin added. "There are a lot of people that are frustrated. It probably has something to do with it, but it is what it is."
(h/t Philadelphia Daily News)
