BOX SCORE

The box score in the Cubs’ 8-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday doesn’t exactly tell the bulk of the story.

The Cubs, while struggling at the plate, kept things close until it veered off the rails at the very end when the Twins jumped on Porter Hodge for a six-run eighth inning.

It was a fitting ending for a game where any comeback the Cubs mounted against the hosts fizzled out without any real threat.

Here are three things we learned as the Cubs (54-37) faltered in the opener to the Twins (44-47).

Whoa, Sho

Shota Imanaga took the mound Tuesday for the third time since returning from a nearly two-month IL stint. 

In his previous two outings, Imanaga looked a lot like his old self — he threw five shutout innings against the St. Louis Cardinals before returning to Wrigley Field as the Cubs beat the Cleveland Guardians behind three earned runs in his 5.1 innings. 

Imanaga got off to a bit of a rocky start in the first inning Tuesday, allowing back-to-back doubles from the Twins’ 1-2 hitters, Byron Buxton and Ryan Jeffers, as Minnesota jumped out to a very early 1-0 lead. A single and a sac fly later, the Twins doubled their lead before Imanaga was able to get out of it. 

Then, Imanaga settled in, working a few quick innings and allowing just three more hits. He exited the game after a six-inning, two-run quality start — but the Cubs’ bats were helpless in run support. 

Are those crickets? 

The Cubs had only been shut out as a team five times this season entering Tuesday. 

Twins right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson was able to quiet the Cubs’ bats in a way not many pitchers have lately. 

Across five shutout innings for Woods Richardson, he walked three batters but allowed just two hits while striking out four. One hit came on a bloop single for Kyle Tucker in the third inning, which put runners at the corners with two away. But the Cubs squandered the chance when Seiya Suzuki struck out on a foul tip to end the inning. 

Woods Richardson’s standout performance marked just the ninth time this season that a starting pitcher has thrown five or more shutout innings against the Cubs. 

The Cubs managed to avoid a nine-inning shutout when Justin Turner clubbed his 200th career home run for a solo shot in the ninth — but it was far too little, far too late.

Stage fright

Another golden opportunity came for the Cubs in the sixth after Tucker walked and hometown hero Michael Busch hit a loud, 105.4 mph single off the wall in right field. Once again, the Cubs sported runners on the corners with two outs in the inning, and up came Dansby Swanson. 

Swanson worked a 3-2 count but swung through a high heater to end the Cubs’ chances once again. 

Production with runners on has been Swanson’s Achilles heel this season — among qualified hitters, the shortstop is hitting a team-worst .182 with runners on, including a .136 clip with runners in scoring position. 

It’s a bit of an interesting phenomenon, as Swanson sports a team-best .300 batting average with 12 home runs when the bases are empty this year. 

The Cubs will try to get back in the win column on Wednesday. Cade Horton (3-2, 4.15 ERA) is set to take the mound for the Cubs while David Festa (2-3, 5.48 ERA) will be on the bump for the Twins.

Coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. CT on Marquee Sports Network.