Trade bait Cole Hamels fires no-hitter for Philadelphia

The 31-year-old left-hander has been mentioned prominently in trade talks ahead of Friday’s non-waiver deadline.

If a deal doesn’t manifest itself before then, Hamels will just go with the flow like he always has.

“That’s what I’m going to do until the moment somebody says no”.

So there was Hamels, still the star of the Phils’ rotation despite an uninspiring 6-7 record so far this year, taking control of the game at the start and keeping the Cubs guessing.

Carlos Ruiz, who joined Boston’s Jason Varitek as the only catchers on the receiving end of four no-hitters, said he began thinking his longtime battery mate could accomplish something special in the sixth inning.

“I hung that pitch to Bryant with his power, fortunately the wind was in my favor”, Hamels said.

Manager Pete Mackanin was nearly as impressed about his team’s error-free play and 40 hits – including 21 for extra-bases – in the series as he was about Hamel’s 13-strikeout gem on Saturday. Dexter Fowler walked twice for the Cubs, but Hamels retired his final 10 batters.

“He definitely increased his value, I would imagine”, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “You get that higher tier prospect because of that performance”. Odubel Herrera made a running catch on the warning track and then made a dive after the ball hit his glove.

“It feels awesome. I feel proud to be part of it”, Herrera said through a translator.

Asked what he felt Saturday’s start meant for his trade value, Hamels smiled and said, “I have no clue”.

Hamels threw six no-hit innings against the Braves on September 1 in a combined no-hitter, but Saturday he was coming off two poor outings while dealing with trade rumors. While it remains likely that the Cubs target just one starting pitcher, the concerns about lingering issues with Hammel’s leg creates a great deal of concerns for the team. They lead the majors with a 63-34 record. He worked the last four innings and took the loss in an 18-inning setback to the Mets on Sunday.

Diamondbacks 2, Brewers 0: Rubby De La Rosa pitched eight effective innings and Brad Ziegler held on for his 14th straight save, lifting Arizona to a victory over Milwaukee.

Chicago had a great chance for a hit in each of the final two innings, but Herrera was there each time for Philadelphia. He has 23 homers this season and 677 in his career. Rodriguez hit Perkins’ first pitch for a tying homer, and John Ryan Murphy later connected for a three-run shot. Detroit left fielder Yoenis Cespedes hit a solo homer against his former team and also threw out a runner at the plate. His 424-foot homer in the ninth cleared the center field wall. “I guess if I were in their position, I’d do the same thing, too”.

In Anaheim, California, Delino DeShields capped a three-run rally in the eighth inning with an infield hit that drove in the go-ahead run and Rougned Odor homered as Texas beat Los Angeles. He also singled for the second consecutive game, this time driving in his first major-league run, and worked a walk.

The Phillies went on to crush the Cubs 11-5 on Sunday for a sweep of the three-game series marking the first time they have accomplished the feat on the road this season. He was 0-4 with a 5.56 ERA during a nine-game winless streak, which matched a career high.