- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
Five things we learned Thursday: Cole Hamels stars on night of aces
- Updated: July 29, 2016
2:42 AM ET
Chris Sale, Jose Fernandez, Johnny Cueto, Cole Hamels, Jacob deGrom and David Price all started Thursday, an impressive list considering it wasn’t even a full slate of games. Ubaldo Jimenez started as well. Our top five:
1. Hamels makes Cy Young case. I wrote the other day about the wide-open American League Cy Young, but maybe Hamels will be the guy to make a run at it. He struck out a season-high 12 batters to outduel Yordano Ventura, who threw a complete game and allowed just four hits — except three of those were solo home runs, two by Mitch Moreland, and the Rangers beat the Royals 3-2. Putting faith in his ace, Rangers manager Jeff Banister let Hamels throw 123 pitches, tied for the second-most by a starter this season. (Chi Chi Gonzalez of the Rangers threw 124 on July 7, in a game where he pitched just 4⅔ innings.)
Cole Hamels improved to 12-2 with eight stellar innings Thursday against the Royals, allowing two runs while striking out 12. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
This might surprise you: Since 2010, Hamels is second in WAR among starting pitchers, behind only Clayton Kershaw.
Kershaw: 45.7
Hamels: 35.8
Felix Hernandez: 32.9
Max Scherzer: 32.7
Justin Verlander: 31.4
Despite being one of the game’s top pitchers for a long time — remember, he helped the Phillies to the World Series title in 2008 — he was never really factored in much in the Cy Young race. He has received votes four times:
2007: Sixth (2 points)
2011: Fifth (17 points)
2012: Eighth (1 point)
2014: Sixth (17 points)
He has never received a first-place and maybe never deserved one. By WAR, he was the second-best pitcher in the National League in …
continue reading in source espn.go.com
