A pair of strong outings, including a complete game shutout, earned Cole Hamels the NL Player of the Week award for the week ending August 19.
↵Hamels blanked Miami - his second complete game shutout in a row - on Aug. 13, including five strikeouts, then followed that performance up with a 7.2 inning, ten-strikeout showing against the Brewers. In his last three starts, Hamels has pitched 26.2 innings and only allowed three earned runs for an ERA just a shade over 1. He's lowered his season ERA to 2.94 on the year.
↵Hamels' major competition for the honor probably belonged to his teammate Kyle Kendrick, who didn't allow any runs in either of his two starts. He didn't go the distance in either, but eight hits and no runs over 15 innings is nothing to scoff at. Perhaps Hamels' complete game shutout from the week before was grandfathered into the decision to give him the nod?
↵All this dominant pitching is just a little bit late for the Phillies, who are 19 games back of the NL East lead, but they'll take it.
↵For more on the Phillies, there's The Good Phight.