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HOUSTON (AP) - Winless in his three previous starts, Cole Hamels realized his biggest problem was the stress he was putting on himself. Loose and relaxed on Wednesday, the left-hander earned his elusive 10th win as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Houston Astros 8-3.
Hamels (10-4) gave up eight hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings and became the first Phillies starter since Eric Milton in 2004 to win 10 games before the All-Star break. The left-hander, one of three Phillies headed to the All-Star game, had his longest outing since going eight innings against the Chicago White Sox on June 12, his last victory.
"It was a constant battle for the past month," said Hamels, who threw 115 pitches. "I just had to take a lot of the pressure off and just relax. Being myself, I'm able to go out there and put my team in a winning situation.
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