National League Rookie of the Month Shota Imanaga will look to continue his stellar debut season when he takes the mound on Tuesday for the Chicago Cubs against the visiting San Diego Padres.
Imanaga (5-0, 0.78 ERA) has sparkled for Chicago since the 30-year-old joined the Cubs after eight seasons in Japan’s top league.
The left-hander has racked up 35 strikeouts and walked only four in 34 2/3 innings across his six starts this season, all of which Chicago has won.
“It’s been fun to watch him pitch,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said, according to Marquee Sports, on Wednesday after Imanaga kept the New York Mets scoreless over seven innings in Chicago’s 1-0 road win.
“He has exceeded expectations because anybody who pitches like that would exceed your expectations — Gerrit Cole or Max Scherzer or whatever,” Counsell said. “He’s pitched incredibly, incredibly well. He’s got his career off to a great start and it’s been fun to watch.”
Imanaga limited the Mets to three hits and struck out seven throughout the longest outing of his brief big league career. He will face the Padres for the first time.
The rest of the Cubs’ rotation recently has been just as sturdy as the team’s newest coveted arm. Chicago starters have thrown 23 straight scoreless innings, a streak that spans four games.
Justin Steele tossed 4 2/3 shutout innings on Monday in his return from the injured list, but the Cubs’ bullpen faltered in the sixth inning.
San Diego bombarded Chicago relievers Richard Lovelady and Daniel Palencia with six hits during a six-run frame that propelled the Padres to a 6-3 win in the opener of the three-game series.
The inning started small with two soft base hits and a double steal, which set up Jurickson Profar’s two-run single. San Diego strung together two more singles to open up a 3-0 lead before Luis Campusano rocketed a three-run double into the right-field corner to punctuate the Padres’ explosive inning.
“What I love about it is we don’t stop,” San Diego manager Mike Shildt said.
Shildt praised his hitters for their collective approach in the sixth inning — all six of the Padres’ hits were either up the middle or sprayed to the opposite field.
“When you have guys that have bat control and they’re seeing the game the right way and … using the right approach … it’s good baseball,” Shildt said.
Profar went 1-for-4 on Monday to boost his batting average to .341, seventh best in the majors. San Diego first baseman Jake Cronenworth went 2-for-4 to push his hitting streak to 10 games. He is batting 15-for-42 (.357) with three home runs and 10 RBIs during that span.
Cronenworth has struggled this season against lefties, however. He’s hitting just .156 versus southpaws compared to his .324 clip against right-handers.
Set to oppose Imanaga on the mound is Randy Vasquez (0-1, 5.87), who will make his third start this season for the Padres.
The right-hander was recalled from Triple-A El Paso on Sunday after San Diego placed Joe Musgrove on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation.
Vasquez last pitched for the Padres against the Rockies in Colorado on April 25. He surrendered four runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings and earned a no-decision in San Diego’s 10-9 loss.
The 25-year-old has never faced the Cubs.
–Field Level Media
