In what many speculated could be the final game Cole Hamels played in a Phillies jersey, the starting pitcher ended with his first career no-hitter against the Cubs, leading the team to a 5-0 win.
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The game could not have come at a better time for the 31 year old who earned his first career no-hitter against a team showing potential interest. That and it ended a brutal run of form that saw him allow 20 hits in less than seven innings. But tonight, Hamels hit 13 strikeouts and made it the 13th no-hitter in franchise history.
For the Cubs, it’s perhaps more important. It’s the first time they have been held to a no-hit since 1965..if that’s not a statement from Cole saying”I may be old but I can still hang with the best of them” then I don’t know what is. If that wasn’t good enough, he also hit a double to left field as well.
Hamels has drawn attention from just about every possible place this year, with the Yankees being the most recent team to enquire about the left hander. Despite his contract running through 2018 and his huge cost, it;s still a mild cost for such a prominent player when in his prime. It also frees cap space that the streaking Phils so desperately need.
It was a return of old flames in the emphatic win, with Ryan Howard rediscovering his form. Howard didn’t only hit a three run homer but then went on to score two runs on an error, causing major problems for Chicago all afternoon. A day to celebrate indeed for Phillies fans, but if this is the last time we see Hamels in a Phillies jersey, he perhaps received the greatest farewell he could.
