ATLANTA - Maikel Franco's bat hung in the protective netting behind home plate Thursday night, and finally the Phillies offense had created some buzz.
Franco missed on an R.A. Dickey knuckleball - a pitch that fooled the Phillies all night in a 3-1 loss to the Braves - and his bat went flying. The handle slipped through the netting just over the on-deck circle before the barrel became caught, causing the bat to be tangled. Play was delayed for four minutes as workers tried to unsuccessfully shake the bat free.
A ladder was brought onto the field but was not needed after a security guard scaled the net and plucked Franco's bat.