Holiday Treat for Phillies Fans




Here's one more reason to love baseball. It's rarer than rare for an NFL or NBA team having a terrible season to beat one of the better teams in its division on the road. And to go further, imagine that win claiming a place in history.
Some notable labor was turned in Monday afternoon at Turner Field in Atlanta. In the first combined no-hitter in Phillies history, Cole Hamels worked the first six (and threw over 100 pitches, puffed up by five walks, leading to his early shower), before relievers Jake Diekman, Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon fired an inning each of perfect relief to complete the gem. (This was the first Philadelphia no-hitter since Roy Halladay's playoff opening no-no against the Reds in 2010.)
The offense was largely provided by leadoff hitter Ben Revere (below). Coming into the game with just 15 RBIs on the season, he raised his total by a third, driving in five, three coming on a bases-loaded 7th inning triple. In what's turned into a lost season for the Phillies, Labor Day was a rare cause for celebration.
Hamels in action against the Dodgers in August 2013. Revere's photo came from an April 2014 game versus Atlanta.

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