\n Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Thursday, June 26, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo\/Jeff Roberson)
\n AP\n <\/p>\n
ST LOUIS \u2013 Four minutes before first pitch on Thursday afternoon, Shota Imanaga strolled in from the left-field bullpen and headed toward the Cubs dugout at Busch Stadium. As he approached, a small group of Cubs fans in the area stood and cheered for the team\u2019s ace.<\/p>\n
Imanaga then went out and gave those fans plenty more reason to celebrate as the All-Star lefty threw five brilliant shutout innings in the Cubs\u2019 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. It had been 53 days since Imanaga toed the rubber of a big-league mound in competition. It looked like he hadn\u2019t missed a beat. Imanaga allowed just one hit while striking out three and walking one. He gave up little hard contact, flummoxing Cardinals hitters all day as he lowered his ERA on the season to 2.54.<\/p>\n
When asked if he was surprised that he just continued from where he left off before his injury, Imanaga said, through interpreter Edwin Stanberry, there\u2019s more in the tank.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say I felt 100 percent in control of all my pitches,\u201d he said. \u201cShoutout to the defense and (catcher Carson) Kelly, he was calling a really good game. I would say I was saved by my teammates.\u201d<\/p>\n
Imanaga can be humble, but his manager saw how big of a boost the lefty gave his team.<\/p>\n
\u201cLooked like he\u2019d been out there every single start,\u201d Craig Counsell said. \u201cI think there\u2019s a tendency to get a little overamped in a start like that and I thought he controlled his effort really well, his energy really well. And that caused a lot of really good execution.\u201d<\/p>\n
During his absence, the Cubs rotation put up a 4.91 ERA, 28th in baseball. Even if one were to remove the three openers in those outings and add in the bulk pitchers who pitched that day \u2014 in each instance, it was one of the five who had gotten regular starts while Imanaga was on the shelf \u2014 that ERA only goes down to 4.77.<\/p>\n
To say the Cubs desperately missed Imanaga would be putting it lightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re getting one of the best pitchers in the game back in the rotation,\u201d Ian Happ said. \u201cIt\u2019s like trading for somebody in the middle of the season. Getting that guy back, top of the line starting pitcher. You saw what he did today and that was on a pitch count.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Imanaga sparkled, there were nearly fireworks at the end of the game. With the Cardinals trailing by three and a man on second, reliever Daniel Palencia threw a 1-2, 100.5 mph fastball up and in to former Cubs catcher Willson Contreras that barely clipped Contreras\u2019 hand as he was trying to get out of the way.<\/p>\n
Contreras popped back up. And as he headed to first, he had some words for Palencia. Palencia reacted by putting his hands out as if to say, \u201cWhy would I hit you?\u201d A good question, considering that the next batter now represented the tying run.<\/p>\n
Palencia would go on to strike out the next three Cardinals and while doing his celebration, turned in the direction of Contreras and the Cardinals\u2019 dugout. That set off Contreras once again, and the benches briefly emptied before order was restored and the Cubs celebrated their victory.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n St. Louis Cardinals’ Willson Contreras (40) is held back by first base coach Stubby Clapp as members of the Chicago Cubs celebrate their 3-0 victory following a baseball game Thursday, June 26, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo\/Jeff Roberson)
\n AP\n <\/p>\n
After the game Contreras explained his reaction, pointing out that he had his hand broken last August when a pitch hit him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know I react the way I react,\u201d Contreras said. \u201cNobody wants a fastball at your face. I know he\u2019s not trying to. I just said, \u2018Throw strikes.\u2019 My reaction was bad, I take that back. I apologize to the Chicago Cubs for reacting the way I reacted. But I\u2019m not trying to get another broken bone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Happ was teammates with Contreras from 2017 until he left in free agency after the 2022 season. He understood where Contreras was coming from.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s Willson,\u201d Happ said. \u201cHe loves his teammates, he loves to play hard. He\u2019s going to be a guy that\u2019s in it every pitch. Any time you get hit up and in a spot like that, it\u2019s scary. Guys are frustrated. Totally get it. It\u2019s just the heat of the moment in competition.\u201d<\/p>\n
Palencia said his celebration after the game was merely an outburst of emotion after he\u2019d worked out of a jam and helped his team get a big victory.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an intense game, I was really hyped,\u201d Palencia said. \u201cNothing was intentional. It\u2019s just part of the game. I don\u2019t want to hit that guy. I\u2019ve been watching that guy since I was a kid. I really feel proud of him, what he\u2019s doing for the game. Like I said, the moment was intense, close game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Contreras took exception to how Palencia celebrated.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only thing I didn\u2019t appreciate was the way he turned around,\u201d Contreras said. \u201cBut once again, it\u2019s just the heat of the game. He came out with good stuff, put another zero on the board and they won today.\u201d<\/p>\n
That, ultimately, is all that matters. The Cubs had every reason to hang their heads after losing the first two games of the series. But after their starting pitching failed them at the beginning of the series, Matthew Boyd and Imanaga didn\u2019t allow a run in the final two of the four-game set. The bullpen as a whole was dominant, tossing 15 shutout innings this week in St. Louis.<\/p>\n
As bad as things looked after Tuesday night, the Cubs have kept the Cardinals 4 1\/2 games back and allowed the Milwaukee Brewers to creep a half-game closer to being three games back.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust a lot of credit to the pitching staff,\u201d Happ said. \u201cA lot of credit to Matty Boyd and Shota for going out there. Two dominant starts, bullpen not giving up anything. I think that\u2019s a huge credit to those guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
For all the handwringing from the outside after a bad loss, the Cubs have continually managed to keep the noise out of the clubhouse. This team could easily have let the first two losses of this series lead to a prolonged stretch of losing. Instead, the Cubs answered with two wins of their own.<\/p>\n