CHICAGO — Shota Imanaga wasn’t disillusioned when he was eliminated after seven hitless innings and 95 pitches.
“He really didn’t know he had a no-hitter going in any respect, which is humorous,” Chicago Cubs supervisor Counsell stated.
Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge every adopted with an ideal inning to complete a 12-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday evening, the Cubs’ first no-hitter at Wrigley Subject since 1972.
“That’s 100% about taking good care of Shota and ensuring we’re doing the precise factor for him,” Counsell stated. “It’s not enjoyable to do, however once you’re prioritizing the participant’s well being and also you don’t know what’s going to occur transferring ahead, we wish him to remain wholesome.”
Imanaga (12-3) struck out seven and walked two, throwing 66 pitches for strikes.
A 31-year-old left-hander in his first season with the Cubs after pitching in Japan for eight seasons, Imanaga has not gotten an out within the eighth inning this season and has thrown a excessive of 103 pitches.
He wanted 25 pitches to get by the second inning. He complimented catcher Miguel Amaya, who posed for pictures with the three pitchers after the ultimate out.
“Miggy research the hitters, and there have been a couple of events at this time the place there was a particular pitch I needed to throw, Miggy had a special signal, and I simply trusted him and it labored out,” Imanaga stated by an interpreter. “I can’t thank him sufficient.”
Imanaga agreed in January to a $53 million, four-year contract. Chicago paid a $9,825,000 posting payment to the Yokohama BayStars of Japan’s Central League.
“The way in which he works, the presence, the boldness that he reveals up there, each pitch is with intention,” Amaya stated. “He’s a grinder.”
Chicago’s earlier no-hitter was by Zach Davies, Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin and Craig Kimbrel at Dodger Stadium on June 24, 2021. Chicago had not pitched a no-hitter at Wrigley Subject since Milt Pappas towards San Diego on Sept. 2, 1972 — Pappas was one pitch from an ideal sport when Bruce Froemming referred to as ball 4 on a full-count pitch to Larry Stahl. Garry Jestadt then popped out.
Chicago ended a streak of 4,147 common and postseason video games at Wrigley Subject with no no-hitter, the second-longest for a group in a single ballpark behind Pittsburgh, based on Opta. The Pirates by no means had a no-hitter in 4,773 video games at Forbes Subject from 1909-70.
Cubs gamers celebrated when shortstop Dansby Swanson threw to first baseman Michael Busch for the ultimate out on Oneil Cruz’s grounder, however had been extra muted than throughout celebrations after particular person no-hitters.
Swanson insisted on staying within the sport regardless of the blowout.
“He goes about his work the identical day by day, whether or not he’s had an excellent outing or a foul outing,” Swanson stated on Imanaga. “He’s at all times desirous to get higher. He’s at all times doing the routine that he must do to have the ability to return out once more in 5 days and be capable to pitch properly. He’s at all times ready. He has his personal manner of doing issues and takes full pleasure and duty to try this.”
This was the fourth no-hitter this season after complete-game efforts by Houston’s Ronel Blanco towards Toronto on April 1, San Francisco’s Blake Snell at Cincinnati on April 2 and San Diego’s Dylan Stop at Washington on July 25.
Nico Hoerner, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Swanson every had three of Chicago’s 17 hits, with Swanson and Crow-Armstrong each ending a triple shy of the cycle.
Domingo Germán (0-1), who pitched an ideal sport final 12 months for the New York Yankees towards Oakland, allowed seven runs — six earned — and 9 hits in three innings.
Seiya Suzuki hit an RBI single within the first, and Chicago opened a 4-0 lead within the second when Crow-Armstrong had a run-scoring double and Happ hit a two-run single.
Swanson’s two-run homer and Crow-Armstrong’s solo shot boosted the result in 7-0 within the third. Cody Bellinger hit a two-run homer within the sixth towards Kyle Nicolas.
Pittsburgh’s Rowdy Tellez allowed Miles Mastrobuoni’s RBI single within the eighth, the primary baseman’s third mound outing this season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: OF Andrew McCutchen was a late scratch due to a knee concern.
Cubs: LHP Justin Steele (tendinitis in pitching elbow) and RHP Jorge López (strained proper groin) had been placed on the 15-day IL, Steele retroactive to Sunday and López to Tuesday. Reliever Hayden Wesneski, out since July 19 with an injured proper forearm, will begin a rehab task at Triple-A Iowa.
UP NEXT
Pirates: LHP Bailey Falter (6-7, 4.41 ERA) was set to take the mound Thursday when the Pirates return dwelling to face the Nationals.
Cubs: RHP Javier Assad (7-4, 3.21) was scheduled to begin Friday within the sequence opener at dwelling towards the Yankees. New York RHP Luis Gil (12-6) will come off the injured listing after recovering from a decrease again pressure.