CHICAGO-The last time Cole Hamels made a start at Wrigley Field was nearly a year ago, and it's one he will never forget.
He tossed the only no-hitter of his career July 25, 2015, striking out 13 and walking two to beat Jake Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs 5-0. That was Hamels' final start for the Philadelphia Phillies before they traded him to the Texas Rangers on July 31.
Hamels is scheduled to start Sunday at Wrigley, but he won't be strolling down Memory Lane once he's on the mound.
"It was great, but it's over," Hamels said. "You kind of move past it. It's a great memory, but I think the understanding is it doesn't happen all the time. The thing that does happen is trying to go out and pitch great games and help your team win. That's the main focus."
Hamels' no-hitter was sealed when former Rangers prospect Odubel Herrera caught a Kris Bryant fly ball. But it wasn't that simple. Herrera tracked it to the wall and then had to lunge forward to make the catch.
"Unbelievable," Hamels said. "If it was not a windy day, that was a home run. I think I had a lot of things in my favor."
Said Bryant: "I made the last out on a crazy catch. I don't know how he caught that ball. Sometimes it's kind of cool to be a part of history."