Cole Hamels didn't match Roy Halladay's Game 1 no-hitter, but he was plenty effective enough to get the Philadelphia Phillies to their third straight NLCS.
Hamels struck out nine Cincinnati batters in a complete-game five-hit shutout to help the Phillies complete a three-game sweep of the Reds, winning 2-0 in Cincinnati Sunday night.
Philadelphia is now one series
victory away from its third straight NL pennant. The Phillies await the winner of the San Francisco-Atlanta division series, which the Giants lead 2-1 after a Sunday victory.The Phillies scored yet another unearned run -- their sixth out of 13 in the series -- to give Hamels all the offense he would need in the first inning. Reds shortstop Orlando Cabrera, a two-time Gold Glover, threw wildly to first on Jayson Werth's two-out grounder, pulling first baseman Joey Votto off the bag and allowing Placido Polanco to score from third.
Chase Utley added a fifth-inning two-out solo homer that just barely cleared Cincinnati's Drew Stubbs' glove and the right-center field wall. The play was upheld after video review, giving Hamels and the Phillies a 2-0 edge.
Cincinnati only had a few real scoring chances all night. Stubbs led off the bottom of the first with an infield single and Brandon Phillips lined a shot to left-center, but Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino made an outstanding running catch to save a likely RBI extra-base hit.
In the seventh, Reds catcher Ramon Hernandez doubled to the left-field wall with two outs, but Jay Bruce flew out to Werth to end the inning.
With the Reds down to their final three outs of the season, Phillips singled to lead off the ninth, but Votto grounded into a double play to Utley and Hamels struck out Rolen swinging for the final out.
Hamels' performance and the early Cincinnati defensive miscue overshadowed a solid outing by Reds starter Johnny Cueto, who was making his first career playoff appearance. He allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits, with a walk and two strikeouts.
After a strong effort in Game 1 but faltering in Game 2, the Reds' relief corps was again effective in Game 3. Normal starter Homer Bailey, Bill Bray, Nick Masset and heralded rookie Aroldis Chapman held Philadelphia to three hits over the final two innings.
NOTES: Game 1 of the NLCS is to be played in Philadelphia Saturday. ... Hamels has never lost to the Reds and is 6-0 against them in regular-season play. ... After falling behind 4-0 in Game 2, the Phillies outscored Cincinnati 9-0. ... Philadelphia has won six straight potential playoff clinchers and 10 of 12. ... Utley's homer was his 10th in postseason play, the most in team history. Werth has nine. ... Cincinnati committed seven errors in the series after finishing second in the NL with a .988 fielding percentage during the regular season. ... Cabrera was back in the lineup after leaving Game 2 due to injury. ... The announced attendance at Great American Ball Park was 44,599, the most in stadium history. The previous high was on opening day in 2005. ... Bailey's stint on the mound was his first career major league relief appearance. ... Rolen finished the series 1-for-11 with eight strikeouts. ... Since the Cardinals won the 2006 World Series, NL Central teams have lost 15 of their last 16 playoff games.
Photo above: Cole Hamels pitches during Game 3. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
BOX SCORE
Audio credit -- Reds Radio Network
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