It will likely be the answer to a Beer Money trivia question one of these days: what pitcher threw the first complete game of 2018 for the Cubs? Your hint…he wasn’t part of the original starting rotation (but, boy was he a shot in the arm when the Cubs needed it). You might end up a big winner if you can pull up Cole Hamels.
The lefty took the mound in a late-August series opener against the Reds and I remember this game specifically because it was the start of American Legion Week for the Cubs. That’s where manager Joe Maddon encourages players to get to the field late in hopes of giving them more time to rest and freshen up for the September stretch run.