At his postgame news conference, Hamels said he takes all the trade talk as a “compliment” and just tries to “live in the moment”. “That’s right under it”.
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Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard supplied Hamels with more than enough runs with one swing of the bat, his 17th homer of the season off Chicago starter Jake Arrieta in the third inning. An inning earlier, the Rule 5 draft pick made a running catch on a David Ross fly ball to the left-centre-field gap.
Rancho Bernardo High pitching coach Mark Furtak was on his way back from Idyllwild on Saturday when Cole Hamels’ mother texted him and asked if he’d seen what happened.
Perhaps more interesting than which team acquires the southpaw is how much it would eat of the 2008 World Series MVP’s remaining contract as he is due to make $23.5 million US per year until his contract expires in 2018, with a team option for 2019.
Cole Hamels carries himself with an unmistakable California cool.
“He definitely increased his value, I would imagine”, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “You’re likely to get that higher-level possibility as a result of that performance today”.
Hamels celebrated for a little bit after the game with family and friends who had already been in town for the series, though his accomplishment still hasn’t sunk in, he said. Dexter Fowler walked twice, but he was the only baserunner for the Cubs. It was the fourth no-hitter for catcher Carlos Ruiz, including the playoffs, according to STATS – tops in NL history and tied with Jason Varitek for the major league record.
Rodriguez’s third homer of the game came on the first pitch of the ninth from Twins closer Glen Perkins, who had blown just one save in 30 chances prior to Saturday. He was focused on correcting his pitching, he said, after allowing 14 runs and 20 hits and lasting only 61/3 innings combined over his last two starts.
Not having cell reception until that point, Furtak at first thought his former star lefty might have been traded. He dropped to 0-3 with a 4.10 ERA in his last eight starts.
It was the first time the Cubs had been no-hit in 7,920 games, since Sandy Koufax threw a ideal game against them on September 9, 1965, at Dodger Stadium.
So, the Phils are expected to move Jonathan Papelbon and Cole Hamels before Friday’s trade deadline.
In the nine games since MLB’s annual All-Star break, the Phillies have accumulated an 8-1 record, and have compiled a couple of decent winning streaks including a current four-game span of Ws. Conditions: 1) Has 400 IP in 2017-18, including 200 IP in 2018, and 2) is not on the disabled list with a shoulder or elbow injury at the end of the 2018 season. His is the Phillies’ first no-hitter by a single pitcher since Roy Halladay’s post-season no-no against the Cincinnati Reds on October 6, 2010.
“… It’s a risk not worth taking to put him on the mound one more time”.
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The 31-year-old lefthander was part of the Phillies’ last no-hitter, too. Hamels threw a no-hitter Saturday, but do not expect his value to all of a sudden skyrocket. “You can’t take a young guys like that and just wring him out to dry”.
