This was just the cherry on top of a historic run for Cubs' Jake Arrieta
Second-half 2015 Jake Arrieta was the stuff of legends, with analysts around the game constantly comparing him to Hall of Famer Bob Gibson. In 15 second-half starts, Arrieta allowed just nine earned runs in 107 1/3 innings of work, good for a 0.75 ERA - the best second-half ERA ever in MLB history.
On Aug. 30, 2015, Arrieta took his dominance on the road to the City of Angels, shutting down a powerful Dodgers lineup that ranked second in team OPS that season. Los Angeles managed only two baserunners, as the bearded right-hander carved them up, striking out a dozen as the Cubs rolled to a 2-0 win.
I could spend the rest of the day just writing about Arrieta's second half. Every fifth day, you just knew the Cubs would win with him on the mound. It didn't matter who the opponent was, or what the game conditions were: he was locked in in a way I had never seen before and haven't seen since. He made throwing a no-hitter against the Dodgers look like a light bullpen session.
And, of course, who could forget the best part? That no-no gave us the mustache onesie picture as part of manager Joe Maddon's infamous themed road trips.