Prior to Saturday, you'd have to go back some 7,920 games to witness the last no-hitter tossed at Chicago's historic Wrigley Field when Cubs pitcher Milt Pappas twirled one on September 2, 1972. With the Philadelphia Phillies in town, sporting the worst record in all of baseball, the Fightin's threw their best pitcher on the mound in lefty ace Cole Hamels. Granted Hamels was seeking his first win since May 23 and the Cubbies had gone a span of 49 years without being no-hit, the odds of the Philadelphia southpaw delivering a no-no were incredibly stacked against him, as if they aren't to begin with for any pitcher on any given day. And with a nine-game win-less streak under his belt entering Saturday's game, the 3-time All-Star and former World Series MVP made sure that mark would fall short of reaching double-digits.
With trade rumors all we've heard of regarding the Phillies ace over the past few months and even dating back to last season's trade deadline, Hamels' name was finally mentioned in a positive light as he made history by tossing the 13th no-hitter in franchise history and first since a combined no-hitter last season, which coincidentally, Hamels started. But instead of throwing six hit-less innings like he did in last season's combined no-no before handing it off to relievers Jake Diekman, Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon to finish it off, Hamels was a one-man-show on Saturday. Hamels finished with 13 strikeouts on the afternoon and saw his only blemish come in the form of a pair of walks allowed in Philadelphia's 5-0 win. Though Hamels' gem was the third no-hitter thrown this season behind the Giants' Chris Heston and Washington's Max Scherzer, it's without a doubt the most impressive out of the bunch. For what it's worth, Hamels even out-hit the opposition on Saturday when he laced an 8th inning double, becoming just the fifth pitcher in Major League history with both a solo no-hitter and combined no-no on his resume.
Two individuals who are no stranger to witnessing the no-hitter is Cubs skipper Joe Maddon who has now been on the receiving end of five no-hitters while watching one of his own pitchers throw one, and Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz who has caught a few. For Ruiz, Saturday's feat was his fourth no-hitter while behind the plate (all with the Phillies) which sets a new National League record and ties Boston's Jason Varitek for the most no-hitters caught in Major League history. Before Hamels took to the mound on Saturday, the you'd have to turn the calendar all the way back to August 19, 1965 when the Cubbies were last held hit-less, a 49 year drought which is the longest in MLB history for any ball club. And with the MLB trade deadline looming and multiple teams looking to make a move to bolster their pitching staff, the question of whether or not we've seen Hamels' last outing in a Phillies uniform comes into play. If he is dealt, he would become just the third pitcher to ever be traded in the same season in which he notched a no-hitter, and what a farewell it would be to the city of Brotherly Love.
With the Rangers and Dodgers currently leading the pack in those looking to acquire Hamels' services, the Giants, Yankees and Cubs are also rumored to be in the Cole Hamels sweepstakes. Three years removed from signing what was the second-largest contract ever by a pitcher, $144 Million over six-years, a trade involving Hamels could be the start of a Philadelphia fire sale.
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As we learned on Friday, for some people, money isn't everything. At least not to 13-year NBA veteran David West who elected to ditch a hefty payday for a better chance at hoisting a Larry O'Brien trophy. With a $12 Million dollar player-option to re-sign with the Indiana Pacers, West instead chose to sign with the San Antonio Spurs for the veteran minimum of $1.4 Million, leaving more than $10 Million on the table to head west. West, a former AP Player of the Year while attending Xavier University and 2-time All-Star while a member of the New Orleans Hornets where he spent the first 8 years of his career before signing with Indiana in 2011, averaged 11.7 points and 6.8 rebounds with the Pacers a season ago.
Facing the twilight of his career and having earned over $50 Million dollars in contracts, West can ill-afford another unsuccessful season at the age of 34 and has reached the point in his career where the cost of winning far outweighs the amount of dollar signs. Just two years removed from an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals with the Indiana Pacers who nearly took the defending NBA Champion Miami Heat to the brink of elimination in a deciding Game 7 which Indiana went on to lose, the Pacers figured to be the next up and coming team in the east. But over the course of the next few months, the state of Indiana basketball would be altered when the team's star player Paul George suffered a freak injury in a U.S.A. Men's Basketball scrimmage which left George with a compound fracture in his right leg and the Pacers on the outside looking in on the 2014-15 playoff picture. What was once touted to be a true title contender for many years to come, was instead put on hold with George's playing career in question.
With the uncertainty regarding the future of the Pacers franchise depending on the health of its star player and a question mark hovering over whether or not the team would ever be as good as they were in 2013-14, West's decision was made a bit easier. What may come off as a head-scratcher for many, just might end up being a good decision that pays dividends given the Spurs also landed the most coveted piece in all of free-agency when 4-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge agreed to a four-year, $80 Million dollar deal with the Spurs. With San Antonio's roster aging but still very much a threat in the west prior to Aldridge's signing, the acquisition of the big man and Texas alum automatically catapults the Spurs back to the top of the Western Conference alongside the reigning NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. While money is certainly something that West left on the table, it isn't the only thing as him signing with the Spurs also means he'll have to accept a lesser role by coming off the bench and no longer starting like he's grown accustomed to throughout his NBA career. Another decision that may come off as questionable to some but could be one that benefits West and prolongs his career in the long run.
Whatever role it is that coach Greg Popovich chooses for his newest acquisition, it'll be one that best compliments his talents as West provides a much needed toughness that the Spurs have lacked.
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After a historic month of May for the San Francisco Giants which briefly saw the team make the jump from worst to first, the reigning World Series champions got off to a sluggish start in the month of June by getting swept at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates at AT&T Park. With the three game sweep, the Giants would endure their second five-game losing-streak of the season before hitting the road and winning four of six versus the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets respectively, failing to complete the sweep both times in the series finale. But just as their impressive mark while on the road continued which ranked tops in the NL, their woes at home also showed no signs of slowing.
Following a three-game series versus the Arizona Diamondbacks which ended in a sweep, the Giants saw their first 8-game skid at home sine September of 1993. With a loss the following day to the visiting Seattle Mariners, the Giants' home losing skid hit nine games. It would be the franchise's first losing streak of its kind since 1940, long before they began calling San Francisco home. Thankfully, they would put an end to the dry spell the following day with a win over the Mariners to split the two-game set. The win also halted their third five-game losing streak of 2015. After splitting another pair of games on the road in Seattle, the Giants would claim three straight series victories against division rivals with the first coming in L.A. against the Dodgers and the latter two at home versus the Padres and Rockies, taking two of three in each series.
With rookie pitcher Chris Heston hurling a no-hitter on the road against the Mets and the team paying a visit to the White House where they were congratulated for a third time during President Obama's presidency, June was without a doubt a busy month for the ball club. It wasn't all parties and celebrations in the month, however, as both Hunter Pence (wrist) and Nori Aoki (ankle) hit the disabled list with injuries, sapping the team's offensive production. While the outfield duo isn't expected to be on the shelf for much longer, they'll likely be joined on the DL by pitcher Tim Lincecum who was hit hard both figuratively and literally in his last outing against Colorado after allowing 3 earned runs in 1.2 innings and taking a line drive to the forearm which caused him to exit the game. Lincecum missing a period of time does however open the window for Matt Cain and Jake Peavy who will both be called up from Triple-A before the weekend.
Cain, who hasn't pitched since last August while dealing with a flexor tendon injury, will make his season debut Thursday on the road in Miami against Marlins ace Jose Fernandez who will also be making his 2015 debut. As for Peavy, he'll be making his first start since April 17 when he takes the mound in Washington against the red-hot Nationals who have won 9 of their last 10 games. Giants skipper Bruce Bochy is hoping the duo of Cain and Peavy can both be effective enough to the point where the team can approach July's trade deadline without needing another starting pitcher. With a record of 12-14 in June, the G-Men currently stand 1.5 games behind the archrival Dodgers in the NL West at 42-36 overall, thanks in large part to the sizzling numbers put up by catcher Buster Posey as of late. The All-Star hopeful who currently leads all NL catchers in All-Star voting, tallied 28 RBI's in the month of June alone, giving him 54 on the year. He also clubbed five Home Runs in the month, including a pair of Grand Slams. With Posey swinging a hot stick at the perfect time and the team less than two weeks away from the All-Star break, the Giants could very well find themselves atop the division at the midway point.
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