Did you know: Hamels' no-hitter
Phillies ace Cole Hamels dazzled against the Cubs on Saturday, tossing the third no-hitter in the Majors this season.
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From picking up the first no-hitter at Wrigley Field in nearly a half-century to having now tossed both a solo and combined no-hitter, Hamels made plenty of history in what could be one of his final starts in a Phillies uniform. Here's a look at 10 of the top facts and figures surrounding his historic 5-0 outing:
Video: PHI@CHC: Hamels gets Bryant to fly out for no-hitter
• Saturday marked the first time the Cubs had been no-hit in nearly 50 years. Prior to Saturday, the last time the Cubs were held hitless was Sept. 9, 1965, when the Dodgers' Sandy Koufax tossed a perfect game for the last of his four career no-hitters.
Complete coverage: Cole Hamels' no-hitter
• As for the previous no-hitter thrown at Wrigley Field, that honor belongs to Milt Pappas on Sept. 7, 1972. Pitching for the Cubs at the time, Pappas lost a perfect game against the Padres with a two-out walk in the ninth before ultimately holding on for the no-hitter.
• Hamels not only held the Cubs hitless, but he actually outhit them thanks to an eighth-inning double. In doing so, Hamels extended the recent trend of no-hit pitchers outhitting their opponents. Each of the last five pitchers to throw a no-hitter in a National League ballpark -- Hamels, Max Scherzer, Chris Heston, Jordan Zimmermann and Tim Lincecum -- has collected at least one hit of his own.
• That's not the only trend involving NL pitchers and no-hitters, however, as the NL has now accounted for each of the last 12 no-hitters since Felix Hernandez's no-no for the Mariners on Aug. 15, 2012. That extends the Modern Era record for most consecutive no-hitters thrown by one league. The previous record was nine straight thrown by the AL from 1908-12.
Video: PHI@CHC: Hamels lines a double in the 8th inning
• Only six pitchers have notched more strikeouts than Hamels' 13 in a no-hitter. Nolan Ryan struck out at least 14 batters in four of his seven no-hitters, while the Astros' Don Wilson, the Braves' Warren Spahn, Koufax, the Giants' Matt Cain and the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw each accomplished the feat once.
• Those 13 strikeouts helped Hamels finish his historic outing with a Game Score of 98, tied for the highest in a nine-inning start in Phillies history. It matches Roy Halladay's 2010 perfect game and Steve Carlton's 14-strikeout one-hitter in 1972.
• Saturday's no-hitter not only made history on the mound, but also behind the plate. It was the fourth no-hitter caught Carlos Ruiz, tying Jason Varitek for the most all-time. Prior to Saturday, Ruiz had also caught both Halladay's regular-season perfect game and postseason no-hitter in 2010, as well as a combined no-hitter started by Hamels last season.
• Speaking of that combined no-no, Hamels became just the fifth pitcher all-time to be part of a combined no-hitter and throw one on his own. The others are Kevin Millwood, Kent Mercker, Mike Witt and Vida Blue, with Hamels joining Mercker as the only ones to complete the solo no-hitter after being part of a combined effort.
Video: 9/1/14: Phils no-hit Braves in combined effort
• Hamels' no-hitter comes in the midst of seemingly endless trade rumors surrounding the Phillies ace. For what it's worth, only two pitchers since 1900 -- Cliff Chambers of the 1951 Pirates and Edwin Jackson of the 2010 D-backs -- have been traded during the same season in which they threw a no-hitter.
• If he were to be traded before his next start, Hamels would become the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in his final start before being traded since Bert Blyleven in 1977. Blyleven tossed a no-hitter in his final start of the '77 season with the Rangers before being traded to the Pirates that offseason.