Photos: 15 moments that defined Cubs’ magical 2015 season

Aside from the installation of two giant video boards at Wrigley Field, the opening of the renovated left-field bleachers brought back a cozy feeling for Cubs outfielders. It was one of the first significant projects to be completed in the massive ballpark renovation. And Bryant and Anthony Rizzo provided fireworks, hitting back-to-back homers in the first inning of a 4-3 victory against the Mets.

It was only the 36th game of the season, but $150 million free-agent addition Jon Lester outdueled Pirates ace Gerrit Cole in a 4-1 victory at Wrigley Field, helping extend the Cubs’ winning streak to six games.

During a soggy night in Washington, Hector Rondon was on the verge of blowing a 2-1 lead to the Nationals when Rizzo noticed Clint Robinson, representing the winning run, wandering too far off first base. So Rizzo signaled catcher David Ross for a pickoff play. Ross called for an outside pitch to make it easier to throw to Rizzo, who tagged Robinson for the final out. Rondon lost his job as the full-time closer but has since regained it.

In the opener of a four-game series against the Dodgers at Wrigley Field, Bryant broke a 1-for-18 slump with a two-run homer off 2014 NL Cy Young winner and MVP Clayton Kershaw. Matt Szczur added a solo blast off Kershaw in the seventh, then Bryant belted his second of the night, off Adam Liberatore in the eighth, in a 4-2 Cubs victory.

After a five-game losing streak capped by the Cardinals’ three-game sweep in St. Louis, manager Joe Maddon hired a magician to relax his stressed players. The Cubs responded with a 1-0 victory over the Mets in New York, prompting Maddon to play the 1965 hit “Do You Believe in Magic?” by the Lovin’ Spoonful in his office afterward. Chris Denorfia selected “Magic” by Pilot in the clubhouse. The latter tune is played occasionally by the Wrigley Field music mixer.

Playing in front of at least two dozen family members in Cincinnati, rookie slugger Kyle Schwarber drove in four runs with two homers, including a solo shot off Nate Adcock in the 13th inning, to give the Cubs a 5-4 victory over the Reds. Schwarber, who grew up in nearby Middletown, Ohio, had tied the game in the ninth with a two-run blast; he finished with four hits.

Playoff contenders, no matter how young or old, need an occasional bucket of cold water thrown in their faces. The Phillies’ Cole Hamels no-hit the Cubs in a 5-0 victory at Wrigley Field. Hamels, whom the Cubs tried to acquire one month earlier and up until he was dealt to the Rangers at the trade deadline, gave the Cubs a sampling of what kind of pitching to expect in the playoffs. It was the first no-hitter against the Cubs since Sandy Koufax’s perfect game at Dodger Stadium in 1965, a span of 7,920 games.

Maddon’s concerns about starting the second half slowly were ringing true. After the Phillies swept them in a three-game series at Wrigley, the Cubs blew a three-run, ninth-inning lead to the Rockies. But Bryant saved the night, launching a towering, two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the inning off John Axford for a 9-8 victory.

This was the start of the final lap in Maddon’s pursuit of a playoff berth. With the Cubs leading the defending champion Giants 5-2, Maddon displayed a sense of urgency by pulling starter Jason Hammel with runners at first and second and nobody out in the fifth. Hammel was visibly upset with the hook, but Justin Grimm bailed him out. The Cubs held on for a 5-4 victory that fueled a season-high nine-game winning streak.

The Cubs insisted they needed to find a spot for Schwarber, especially with veteran catcher Miguel Montero returning from an injury. But they had had enough of Starlin Castro’s inconsistent defense at shortstop — and his lack of clutch hitting. So Maddon moved rookie Addison Russell from second to short, and the Cubs’ infield defense improved significantly. Castro, meanwhile, a three-time All-Star, took the demotion in stride. In fact, he has thrived since, earning the majority of starts at second and hitting for average and power.

Jake Arrieta no-hit the Dodgers 11 days shy of the 50th anniversary of Koufax’s perfect game on the same Dodger Stadium mound. Arrieta struck out 12 and walked one in snapping the Cubs’ four-game losing streak, announcing to a national TV audience that he was a legit Cy Young candidate. Arrieta then showed up for his postgame interview before the team’s late-night flight wearing a handlebar-mustache onesie as part of Maddon’s themed trip home.

After losing nine of their first 13 meetings against the Cardinals, the Cubs humbled their NL Central rivals by scoring eight times in the first three innings to knock out Lance Lynn and went on to a 9-0 victory. Dan Haren pitched his best game to date as a Cub with seven shutout innings.

Despite an 8-3 victory over the Cardinals, Maddon wasn’t happy afterward. He railed against the Cardinals’ tactics after Anthony Rizzo was hit for the second time. “I don’t know who put out the hit,” Maddon said. “I don’t know if Tony Soprano is in the dugout. ... But we’re not going to put up with it, from them or anybody else.” Matt Belisle hit Rizzo an inning after Haren had beaned Matt Holliday with an 86 mph pitch.

Arrieta didn’t need much run support to back his three-hit, 11-strikeout, 123-pitch shutout of the Brewers to become the first Cubs pitcher in 14 seasons to win 20 games. It also was a special moment for Bryant, who hit his 26th home run to break Hall of Famer Billy Williams’ franchise rookie record.