Sho' good: Imanaga sets career high with 11 K's

CHICAGO – Before Shota Imanaga took the mound for one of his last remaining starts in a dazzling 2024 campaign, Cubs manager Craig Counsell was asked what stood out the most about how the rookie sensation has handled his first season in the bigs.

“There’s a lot of superlatives you could use about how Shota’s handled it,” Counsell said. “I’m trying to think of something he hasn’t handled well. ... I don’t know if I can think of anything. He’s passed every test and every kind of question we’ve tried to ask about him really, really well.

“And the other thing that he’s probably shown to us on such a consistent basis is how good he is at what he’s good at.”

Consider Monday night the latest example of that. Imanaga whiffed a career-high 11 over six strong innings, logging his fifth straight quality start in the Cubs’ 9-2 win over the A’s at Wrigley Field. The victory was Imanaga’s 14th of the year, the most he’s notched in a single season between his eight years in Japan and one in the Majors.

Yet, despite another night of accomplishments in a season full of them, the most significant thing in Imanaga’s eyes was that he remained healthy enough to hit these late accomplishments.

“Starting the year, I had the goal to throw 162 innings,” Imanaga said through interpreter Edwin Stanberry. “Back in April, and before in Spring Training, I talked with Craig about the importance of being able to pitch throughout the season and into September. With him, he’s been very helpful in how he manages with me staying healthy being able to throw the innings that I can, so I’m very thankful for him.”

Imanaga was able to achieve his preseason goal on Monday, as he sits at 166 1/3 innings with potentially two more starts left on the year. But that durability has also been crucial for a Cubs rotation that has navigated through injuries throughout the season.

Justin Steele is currently on the injured list for the second time this year. Javier Assad spent some time on the shelf in late June and early July dealing with a right forearm strain. Kyle Hendricks was sidelined with a low back strain in late April, while also spending some time coming out of the bullpen as he worked through on-mound struggles. Additional starters like Jameson Taillon, Hayden Wesneski, Jordan Wicks and Ben Brown have also each dealt with injuries in 2024.

Amid this flurry of ailments, the Cubs have always been able to rely on Imanaga stepping up when his number was called. And as he proved on Monday, he can provide far more than just a consistent presence on the mound.

Imanaga allowed three earned runs or less for the 25th time this season, while his 170 strikeouts are tied with Dick Drott (1957) for the second most by a Cubs rookie in a single season since 1901. His 3.03 ERA is the third lowest in the National League among qualified pitchers, behind only Chris Sale (2.35) and Zack Wheeler (2.60). Entering Monday, Imanaga’s 3.9% walk rate trailed only three qualified pitchers in the Majors (Zach Eflin, George Kirby, Miles Mikolas).

But even after spending the entire season watching Imanaga amaze on the mound, the Cubs continue to come away impressed after each of his outings.

“It’s been fun to see,” said Dansby Swanson, whose three-run homer was the fifth of six consecutive Cubs hits to open the second inning. “Obviously it’s a grind here, the amount of games we play, the frequency in which we play, and he’s handled it so well. He’s been pretty tremendous for us. It’s fun to watch him compete and continue to evolve as a pitcher and have success in multiple ways.”

With just 12 games left on the schedule and a five-game gap between themselves and the Mets for the third and final Wild Card spot, the Cubs’ season will likely end in disappointment. But as the door seemingly shuts on 2024 playoff hopes, it’s clear Imanaga’s debut season represents one of the brightest silver linings for Chicago.

“He’s really talented and good,” Counsell said. “I hope there’s other things he’s got left to accomplish, but there’s no question he’s having a heck of a season and he’s been a heck of a pitcher for us.”