Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga was named an All-Star in the middle of his first MLB season.
On Wednesday, he delivered arguably the strongest performance of his remarkable rookie season. Imanaga pitched seven hitless innings in a 12-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
But he was not allowed to complete the no-hit attempt. Manager Craig Counsell pulled him from the game after seven innings and 96 pitches. Cubs relief pitchers Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge completed the joint no-hit attempt with 1-2-3 innings in the eighth and ninth innings.
On the night, Imanaga allowed no hits, no runs and two walks and struck out seven Pirates batters. He threw 66 of his 95 pitches for strikes. He lowered his season-long ERA to 2.99 and his WHIP to 1.02 after 153 1/3 innings pitched.
Imanaga got more than enough run support in the win. The Cubs hitters pounded the Pirates pitchers with 17 hits, including three home runs, and put 12 runs on the scoreboard. The Cubs improved their record to 72-68 with the win. They are 4.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves for the final NL wild card spot.
Imanaga delivers after moving from Japan to the Cubs
The Cubs lured Imanaga from Japan in January with a four-year, $53 million contract, and with the regular season coming to a close, the deal looks like a bargain.
Imanaga had a remarkable start to his MLB career, striking out nine Colorado Rockies batters in six two-hit, hitless innings in April. He managed a no-hitter until the sixth inning of that game before the game was called off. By mid-May, Imanaga had an ERA of 0.84, the lowest in MLB history after a pitcher’s first nine starts.
That performance earned him an All-Star nomination in July, and now he’s off to perhaps the best start of his young career in a no-hit performance by the Cubs.
The no-hitter was the fourth of the MLB season and the first to come from a combined effort. Ronel Blanco (Astros), Dylan Cease (Padres) and Blake Snell (Giants) have the other three. Blanco had a chance at another no-hitter in June. Like Imanaga on Wednesday, Blanco was taken out of that game after seven innings without a hit.
