Chicago — Shota Imanaga pitched seven effective innings and Ian Happ hit a three-run homer to help the Chicago Cubs hold off the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 on Saturday.
Imanaga allowed one run and four hits in his second straight win. The Japanese left-hander went 3-0 with six strikeouts and no walks and a 1.31 earned run average in his first seven games at Wrigley Field.
“He played amazing,” coach Craig Counsell said. “I thought his fastball was really good today. “Just the location of his fastball was great all day,” he said.
Chicago lost 3 of 4 games and 15 of 21 games. It was the team’s first win in four games against rival St. Louis this season.
The Cardinals threatened in the 7th inning by putting runners on first and second with one out. But Imanaga (7-1) got Dylan Carlson out on a fly ball and struck out Brendan Donovan to take a 2-1 lead.
Imanaga pumped his left arm after Donovan swung for strikes 3 on the eighth pitch and missed an 84.1 mph sweeper. The rookie recorded 103 pitches and 69 strikes in his career.
When asked what he was thinking about retiring from Donovan, Imanaga said, “I’m pretty hungry.”
He said through an interpreter, “So I was thinking about what kind of food and nutritional supplements I should eat after the game.” “This is my honest opinion.”
The Cubs (34-37) then entered the second half and started the game. With 2 outs and 2 ons, Happ hit John King’s 1-2 slider to left center for his 7th home run.
“It was great to not have to give the bullpen a one-run lead and ask them to catch it,” Happ said.
St. Louis (34-35) finished with four hits. They won three in a row and won four of five to hit .500.
“(Imanaga) did a really good job.” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said: “The mix of four-seamers and splits was definitely tough on the guy. We couldn’t get much out of him.”
The Cardinals took the lead on Nolan Arenado’s sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, but the Cubs responded with two runs in the second half.
Andre Palante (2-3) was the runner on first and second base with one out. Chris Roycroft came in and mishandled Nico Hoerner’s grounder over the first base line, allowing Cody Bellinger to score. Seiya Suzuki quickly ran home toward Dansby Swanson’s ground ball in front of the plate.
Palante recorded one earned run and five hits. He pitched five scoreless innings in a 5-1 win over Colorado in his previous start.
“I felt like my stuff was really good. I was controlling the ball really well. I think some of the hits they got were on really good pitches.”
trainer’s room
Cardinals: C Wilson Contreras (broken left arm) took batting practice last Friday in St. Louis. … LHP Steven Martz (back strain) is expected to throw about 50 pitches in his rehab game against Double-A Springfield on Sunday. … RHP Giovanny Gallegos (shoulder impingement) allowed three runs and three hits in one inning of rehabilitation action against Springfield on Friday.
Cubs: LHP Jordan Wicks was placed on the 15th IL with a right oblique injury, and RHP Keegan Thompson was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. … RHP Yency Almonte (shoulder injury) is nearing a rehabilitation period in the minor leagues after taking live batting practice Friday in Arizona. … RHPs Caleb Kilian (sprained shoulder) and Julian Merryweather (rib stress fracture) each had bullpen sessions on Friday.
next
RHPs Myles Mikolas (4-6, 4.85 ERA) and Jameson Taiyong (3-2, 3.09 ERA) will pitch in Sunday’s series finale. Mikolas is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA in his last six starts in St. Louis. Taillon pitched six scoreless innings in Chicago’s 5-2 loss at Tampa Bay on Tuesday night.
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