Shota (5 K's) whiffs one of MLB's best in his spring debut
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GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Shota Imanaga was a quick learner in his MLB spring debut.
The Cubs left-hander sparkled at times -- striking out Freddie Freeman in a perfect first inning -- but also allowed a three-run homer by Andy Pages in an 8-5 Cactus League loss to the Dodgers at Camelback Ranch.
“My goal today was to not give up a home run,” Imanaga said through his interpreter. “Even though it happened, it was a good learning experience to try to figure out that it could end up being a single. I threw the fastball in the zone, so I have to work on throwing it higher in the zone or missing lower.”
The outing was Imanaga's first live game action as a Major Leaguer. The 30-year-old led Nippon Professional Baseball with 174 strikeouts last year with Yokohama, then signed a four-year, $53 million deal with the Cubs in January.
“This is really just about Shota getting his ramp-up started. Let’s just let him go pitch,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “Let’s get two innings, walk off the mound well. That’s good with me.”
Imanaga actually went one batter more than two innings. After Pages’ homer, the lefty struck out three straight to end the second inning. Imanaga then struck out Miguel Rojas to lead off the bottom of the third before departing.
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Imanaga was a standout during Japan’s run to the 2023 World Baseball Classic crown. He showed off his four-pitch mix with seven strikeouts and no walks in six tournament innings. He worked the first two frames in the championship game victory over Team USA.
Despite his résumé, “learning” was a big word for Imanaga on Saturday. Whether it’s learning more about the pitch timer -- he was tagged with a violation before throwing his first pitch -- or learning, as he said, “When to throw the fastball.” There are differences in the MLB game compared with Japan.
“I’m glad that I was able to experience that,” Imanaga said. “Personally, I don’t feel more or less nervous facing a really good team. It’s just another team. But it was a good learning experience to come out here and feel that environment.”