PHILLIES NO-HIT BRAVES

On a sunny Labor Day in Georgia the Phillies’ Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman, Ken Giles and Jonathon Papelon combined to no-hit the Braves in a 7-0 win on Monday. It seemed odd that the Phillies took Hamels out of the game in the 6th when he was doing just fine. Of that Hamels said “Just understanding the situation, every time I went out there I was battling control issues,” Hamels said. “I wasn’t getting ahead of guys. Walking the leadoff hitter will put you in a lot of trouble, and it does. It builds up your pitch count.”

Hamels (8-6) struck out 7 in the win but also walked 5 and hit a batter. The 4 pitchers combined to make the 11th combined no-hitter in league history. “I think having a combined no-hitter is very difficult because guys have to come right in and get the guys out, no matter what the situation is,” Hamels said. “It’s a little more dramatic to be able to see that you’re trying to play the cards as best you can against the lineup.”Clayton Kershaw and Josh Beckett of the Dodgers and Tim Lincecum of the Giants threw no-hitters earlier this year.

Right fielder Marlon Byrd made the play of the day, saving a hit after diving and catching a liner to right-center.