Hamels offers to start Game 7, if there is one

Cole Hamels in Game 7?

The Philadelphia Phillies could catch the biggest break of all in Monday’s suspended game. With rain threatening to push the completion of Game 5 of the World Series back to Wednesday, the Phillies’ ace said he would volunteer to pitch a possible Game 7 on Friday.

“With the pitch count I had, I’ll tell them I’m more than happy to step in,” Hamels said.

Hamels threw 75 pitches over six innings Monday, after throwing more than 100 pitches in each of his previous 10 starts. Hamels, still one victory shy of tying the postseason record, is 4-0 with a 1.80 earned-run average in five starts this October.

Hamels said he had planned to stop his normal workout routine after Monday’s start, figuring that would be his last one for the season. He said he would resume his training today.

Hamels said he trusts Jamie Moyer, the Phillies’ scheduled Game 7 starter, and would not object if the coaching staff opted for Moyer. He said, however, that he did not plan to volunteer to pitch in relief for the remainder of the series.

“I’d have more trust in our bullpen guys,” Hamels said. “For me to do it for the first time in a World Series, I don’t want that on my hands.”

0 for no more

Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria each got his first hit of the World Series. Pena, who was hitless in 13 at-bats in the first four games and tried to bunt for a hit in his first at-bat in Game 5, doubled and singled in his final two at-bats, scoring one of the Rays’ runs and driving in the other.

Longoria, who was hitless in his 16 at-bats in the first four games, singled home Pena with the Rays’ first run.

“I know they feel better about themselves right now, and confidence is really a wondrous thing in regards to us humans,” Manager Joe Maddon said. “Now that they have it back, there’s no telling what they’re going to do.”

Maddon dropped Pena and Longoria one spot in the batting order. He also moved Carl Crawford from the fifth spot to the second spot. Crawford has two of the Rays’ three home runs in the Series; pinch-hitter Eric Hinske has the other.

Trivia time

No World Series game has ever been started without completing at least nine innings.

The last World Series postponement came in 2006, when Game 4 was delayed one day by rain in St. Louis.

In 1903, one game was postponed because of cold weather. In 1989, Game 3 was delayed 10 days because of the Bay Area earthquake.

Calling all Angels

Ruben Amaro, the Phillies’ assistant general manager and heir apparent to Pat Gillick, started his career with Maddon in the Angels’ organization. The Angels drafted Amaro from Stanford in 1987, when Maddon was their top minor league instructor.

“I absolutely loved him,” Amaro said. “He was tremendously positive. He made you believe you could hit better than you could.”

Amaro made his major league debut in 1991, hitting .217 in 10 games. The Angels then traded him and Kyle Abbott to the Phillies for the final season of Von Hayes’ career.

--

bill.shaikin@latimes.com

--

World Series

PHILLIES | RAYS

Phillies lead series, 3-1

times Pacific; all games on Ch. 11;

* -- if necessary

Game 1: Philadelphia 3, at Tampa Bay 2

Game 2: at Tampa Bay 4, Philadelphia 2

Game 3: at Philadelphia 5, Tampa Bay 4

Game 4: at Philadelphia 10, Tampa Bay 2

Game 5: at Philadelphia 2, Tampa Bay 2 (6th inning)

(Game resumes at 5 p.m. today)

Game 6: Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. Philadelphia, Myers (10-13)

at Tampa Bay, Shields (14-8)*

Game 7: Thursday, 5:30 p.m.

at Tampa Bay*