<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-shota-imanaga-yanked-4-scoreless-innings-dodgers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Cubs’ Shota Imanaga was yanked after 4 scoreless innings vs. Dodgers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Cubs-news-Why-Shota-Imanaga-was-yanked-after-4-scoreless-innings-vs.-Dodgers.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Cubs’ Shota Imanaga was yanked after 4 scoreless innings vs. Dodgers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-18T09:29:32-07:00">March 18th, 9:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-18T09:29:32-07:00">March 18th, 9:29am</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jokes throughout spring training circled <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-craig-counsell-makes-mandate-joke-about-shota-imanaga-starting-vs-dodgers-in-japan">Shota Imanaga and the Chicago Cubs about starting in Tokyo</a> to open the season. Luckily, that wish came to fruition on Tuesday.</p><p>During the season opener, Imanaga threw four hitless innings before being removed after 69 pitches. He gave up four walks but challenged the Los Angeles Dodgers.</p><p>His movement on pitches, as well as his confidence, shook the Dodgers. After he was removed, the team took full advantage. They scored three runs off of reliever Ben Brown.</p><p>Many were confused about why Imanaga was removed, despite keeping Los Angeles off balance. Following the game, Cubs manager Craig Counsell <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44302586/shohei-ohtani-nervous-playing-tokyo-dodgers-win-opener" rel="noopener">explained why he made the move</a>.</p><p>“Seventy was kind of the number we had for Shota,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said via Tim Keown on ESPN.com. “It was the right time to take him out.”</p><p>In his first game in the 2025 season, Imanaga proved why he was in contention for the National League Rookie of the Year. The movement, velocity, and overall confidence were on display against a star-studded team.</p><p>Also, this was the first game of the season, so taking precautions was a guarantee.</p><h2><b>Shota Imanaga highlighted Cubs rotation vs Dodgers</b></h2><p>In his rookie season, Imanaga was worth every bit of hype he received. He posted a 15-3 record with a 2.92 ERA in 29 starts. His efforts resulted in an All-Star appearance, as well as placing fifth in the NL CY Young voting.</p><p>Not to mention, his <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/imanash01.shtml" rel="noopener">174 strikeouts to 28 walks ratio</a> was one of the top in the league. Although he spent a majority of his professional career in Japan, Imanaga made a seamless transition to the MLB.</p><p>However, being yanked after four scoreless innings against the reigning World Series champions might not be the best feeling in the world.</p><p>Still, the ace had a goal for last season and achieved it. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cubs-news-shota-imanaga-thankful-message-to-craig-counsell-after-achieving-rookie-season-goal">Imanaga thanked Counsell for his help</a> in reaching a regular-season inning count goal. Now, it might be about preserving Imanaga’s health in the long run.</p><p>Sometimes, the MLB season is a marathon, and not a sprint. As much as the Japanese star would’ve liked to stay in the game, Counsell saw it as Imanaga meeting his pitch count. The standard is the same for their ace, and every pitcher on the staff.</p><p>Either way, the Cubs star made an immediate impression on the entire MLB world, and his home country on Tuesday. This could be a promising sign of another fruitful and even award-winning season for Imanaga and the Cubs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Cubs’ Shota Imanaga was yanked after 4 scoreless innings vs. Dodgers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cubs-news-craig-counsell-makes-mandate-joke-about-shota-imanaga-starting-vs-dodgers-in-japan');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs’ Craig Counsell makes ‘mandate’ joke about Shota Imanaga starting vs. Dodgers in Japan');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Craig-Counsell-makes-mandate-joke-about-Shota-Imanaga-starting-vs.-Dodgers-in-Japan.jpg?w=1024"></figure><h1>Cubs’ Craig Counsell makes ‘mandate’ joke about Shota Imanaga starting vs. Dodgers in Japan</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-09T15:31:39-08:00">February 9th, 3:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-09T15:31:39-08:00">February 9th, 3:31pm</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025 season is already here <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cubs-news-jed-hoyer-cryptic-take-possible-alex-bregman-signing">for the Chicago Cubs.</a> The team’s pitchers and catchers have reported for spring training, as the team prepares for its’ slate of exhibition games before travelling to Japan at the end of the March. There, they will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tokyo Series. As Cubs manager Craig Counsell took questions from the press, he was asked about Japanese starting pitcher Shota Imanaga making a start. As one could expect, Counsell told reporters, including USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, that Imanaga would indeed <a href="https://x.com/BNightengale/status/1888673463172477187" rel="noopener">start one of the two</a> opening matchups.</p><p>“Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell couldn’t help but laugh when asked whether Shota Imanaga will start one of the first two games against the Dodgers in Tokyo next month: ‘Yes, Shota’s going to pitch in Japan. I think that’s mandated. I don’t think I have a choice,” posted Nightengale on X, formerly Twitter, Sunday.</p><p>It’s likely <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pirates-news-paul-skenes-reveals-shota-imanaga-regret-2024-season">that Imanaga will start</a> the opener, as he’s the Cubs’ best starter at the moment. Lefty Justin Steele would probably start the other matchup for Chicago, as long as both starters are healthy then. That is certainly the plan, as the Cubs look to make a return to the postseason. Counsell is entering his second season at the helm, and president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer is the last year of his contract. It’s make or break side on the North Side of Chicago. Can the Cubbies beat the defending World Series champions on foreign soil? If so, 2025 could be their season.</p><h2><b>Cubs, Dodgers to open season in big Tokyo Series</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Cubs-SP-Shota-Imanaga.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Chicago faithful are getting antsy, as the White Sox were the worst team in baseball history last season, while <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/chicago-cubs-2024-over-under-regular-season-win-total">the Cubs underperformed</a> to an extent. Now that Counsell is entering his second season in charge, the familiarity is there. Hoyer bolstered the roster even further by trading for superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker, and by adding to the bullpen as well. The NL Central is certainly within the Cubs’ grasp, especially since their other divisional rivals have taken hits during the offseason. Getting off to the right start in spring training will be key for Chicago.</p><p>Even though the Dodgers are coming off a World Series win, they aren’t invincible. They can be beaten, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-cubs-make-unique-4-year-alex-bregman-contract-offer">the Cubbies certainly have</a> the talent to do just that. If Imanaga starts this season off with a performance like he did last year, then Counsell and his team will be in a good place. But if his homecoming turns sour, then hopefully it’s not an omen of things to come on the North Side this season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs’ Craig Counsell makes ‘mandate’ joke about Shota Imanaga starting vs. Dodgers in Japan

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pirates-news-paul-skenes-reveals-shota-imanaga-regret-2024-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates’ Paul Skenes reveals Shota Imanaga regret from 2024 season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Pirates-news-Paul-Skenes-reveals-Shota-Imanaga-regret-from-2024-season.jpg"></figure><h1>Pirates’ Paul Skenes reveals Shota Imanaga regret from 2024 season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-16T09:07:33-08:00">November 16th, 9:07am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-16T09:08:05-08:00">November 16th, 9:08am</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes is revealing some interesting information about a rival pitcher. Skenes said that after he showed his fastball grip to the Cubs’ Shota Imanaga, <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1857567185893204369" rel="noopener">the hurler then went out</a> and no-hit the Pirates.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is wild …</p><p>Shota Imanaga asked Paul Skenes to show him his fastball grip.</p><p>Imanaga no-hit the Pirates his next outing against them 😮 <a href="https://t.co/pRhnWjIdZH">pic.twitter.com/pRhnWjIdZH</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1857567185893204369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I regret that one a little bit,” Skenes said with a laugh. The hurler went on to say he wasn’t sure if Imanaga actually used the Skenes grip to no-hit the Pirates in that game.</p><p>Skenes said that Imanaga went to him and asked him about his fastball. The<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pirates-news-paul-skenes-fernando-valenzuela-cy-young-candidacy"> two pitchers are the gems</a> of their respective teams’ rotations, and both hurlers are in the National League Central division.</p><p>Pittsburgh’s hurler <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pirates-news-paul-skenes-perfect-admission-dominant-rookie-season">Skenes finished his first season</a> with the Bucs with an 11-3 record. He posted a 1.96 ERA.</p><h2>Paul Skenes is the future for the Pirates</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Paul-Skenes-Pirates.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Greene / The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK</figcaption></figure><p>Skenes finished his impressive rookie season in Major League Baseball as a finalist for the Rookie of the Year award. He also started the All-Star game this past season, despite not being on the Opening Day roster for Pittsburgh. Skenes is also a finalist for the Cy Young.</p><p>The Pirates have not had much to celebrate in recent years, so Skenes’ performance was definitely a bright spot. Pittsburgh looked to possibly make the 2024 postseason, but the club collapsed in August. In the last 30 years, the Pirates have made just a few appearances in the NL Playoffs.</p><p>Skenes will look to change that in 2025. The pitcher appeared in just 23 games during the 2024 season, but finished with 11 victories. He allowed just 29 earned runs in those games.</p><p>With those sorts of numbers, it makes sense that other MLB pitchers would want to pick his brain. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cubs-news-shota-imanaga-thankful-message-to-craig-counsell-after-achieving-rookie-season-goal">Imanaga had a strong season in Chicago</a>; the hurler posted a 15-3 record with a 2.91 ERA. The Cubs pitcher will also look to lead Chicago back to the NL Playoffs. Chicago finished the 2024 season with a 83-79 record.</p><p>The Pirates finished the 2024 campaign with another losing record, going just 76-86. Skenes was the no. 1 overall MLB Draft pick in 2023, after playing his college baseball at LSU. He is considered a favorite to win the Rookie of the Year Award in MLB.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates’ Paul Skenes reveals Shota Imanaga regret from 2024 season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cubs-news-shota-imanaga-thankful-message-to-craig-counsell-after-achieving-rookie-season-goal');   ga('set', 'title', 'Shota Imanaga’s ‘thankful’ message to Craig Counsell after achieving rookie season goal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Cubs-Shota-Imanaga-Craig-Counsell.jpg"></figure><h1>Shota Imanaga’s ‘thankful’ message to Craig Counsell after achieving rookie season goal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-17T07:57:19-07:00">September 17th, 7:57am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-17T07:57:19-07:00">September 17th, 7:57am</time><address><a>Sam DiGiovanni</a>Sam DiGiovanni started at ClutchPoints as an associate editor in 2021 and became the site's Philadelphia 76ers beat reporter ahead of the 2022-23 season. He graduated from Marist College in May of 2022 and has written for TheKnicksWall.com and CenterFieldMarist.com in the past.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Shota Imanaga’s rookie MLB season with the Chicago Cubs <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-cubs-shota-imanaga">has been a success</a>.</p><p>The 31-year-old Imanaga made the All-Star team and has a 3.03 ERA across 166.1 innings. He has remained effective down the home stretch of the season, pitching seven innings in four of his nine starts since the calendar flipped to August. Although he probably won’t get to take the mound in the postseason, his first MLB journey went very well.</p><p>Imanaga was very thankful for Cubs manager Craig Counsell, who helped him <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/shota-imanaga-strikes-out-season-high-11-vs-a-s" rel="noopener">reach the innings total</a> he aimed for before the season, according to Casey Drottar of MLB.com.</p><p>“Starting the year, I had the goal to throw 162 innings,” Imanaga said through interpreter Edwin Stanberry, via MLB.com. “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.”</p><p>Imanaga missed some time in May and July but is still going to blow past his goal easily.</p><h2><b>Shota Imanaga pitched great rookie season for Cubs</b></h2><p>Counsell has widely been seen as one of the very best managers in MLB. The Cubs made a massive effort to get him. The immediate effects have not been anything insane but Imanaga’s insight <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cubs-news-craig-counsell-opens-about-shota-imanaga-decision-no-hit-bid">shows his value to the team</a>. It certainly isn’t the fault of Counsell that Chicago is so close to slipping out of the playoff race.</p><p>The Cubs want to be a playoff contender and will lean on the pitching duo of Imanaga and 2023 All-Star Justin Steele, who battled injury in 2024. There is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-cubs-front-office-dealing-with-internal-friction">a lot of pressure</a> for the Cubs to put a winning team out there in the friendly confines but the team is not without stars.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Shota Imanaga’s ‘thankful’ message to Craig Counsell after achieving rookie season goal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-cubs-shota-imanaga');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, Cubs’ Shota Imanaga share heartfelt moment');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/09-10-24-ohtani-imanaga-featured.jpg"></figure><h1>Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, Cubs’ Shota Imanaga share heartfelt moment</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-10T20:25:45-07:00">September 10th, 8:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-10T20:25:45-07:00">September 10th, 8:25pm</time><address><a>David Korn</a>David Korn is an MLB associate editor at ClutchPoints. He is also a producer at MLB Network Radio and covers college basketball for A10Talk. David graduated from George Washington in 2023, where he was the radio play-by-play broadcaster for their Men's and Women's Basketball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs faced off <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/dodgers-news-teoscar-hernandez-hints-return-date-amid-cubs-series">in a crucial matchup</a> on Tuesday. Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and Cubs rookie sensation Shota Imanaga shared a touching moment as they went head-to-head against each other.</p><p>Ohtani and Imanaga, two of the best Japanese players in baseball history, <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1833695009406677069" rel="noopener">faced each other</a> to lead off the bottom of the first inning. Ohtani smiled, and tipped his batting helmet at his fellow countryman. Imanaga reciprocated the gesture, tipping his cap and smiling back.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Shohei Ohtani and Shota Imanaga tipped their caps before facing off 🙌<br> <a href="https://t.co/gpXb3msWFU">pic.twitter.com/gpXb3msWFU</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1833695009406677069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>After their exchange, Imanaga was able to get Ohtani to harmlessly pop out to shortstop Dansby Swanson.</p><p>This is the second time the two Japanese stars have faced each other in the Majors Leagues. On April 8 in just Imanaga’s second Major League appearance, he was able to hold Ohtani hitless in two at bats, even getting the slugger to strike out during one of them. Imanaga went four scoreless innings that day as the Cubs beat the Dodgers 8-1.</p><h2><b>Historic game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs for Japanese baseball</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/09-10-24-ohtani-imanaga-image.jpg"><figcaption>© Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Ohtani and Imanaga were not the only Japanese players to feature in Tuesday’s game. Dodgers star pitcher <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/dodgers-news-la-activates-yoshinobu-yamamoto">Yoshinobu Yamamoto started the game</a> and made his long-awaited return from injury after missing nearly the last three months with a right triceps injury. Outfielder Seiya Suzuki was also the designated hitter for the Cubs.</p><p>This was just <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1833658238601986286?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet" rel="noopener">the second time</a> in Major League Baseball history that four Japanese players started in a game.</p><p>The other instance came on May 4, 2007, when the New York Yankees started outfielder Hideki Matsui and pitcher Kei Igawa and the Seattle Mariners started outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and catcher Kenji Johjima. The Mariners won that game 15-11, and Suzuki and Johjima combined four runs and five hits. Matsui went 1-3 with two walks and a home run in the losing effort for the Yankees.</p><p>Instances like this are so great for baseball and go a long way in growing the game internationally. Major League Baseball knows this and understands that matchups between the Dodgers and Cubs are must-watch in Japan.</p><p>That is why these two teams will be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/dodgers-news-2025-season-begins-cubs-tokyo-shohei-ohtani">opening the 2025 in Tokyo</a> in what will be one of the most highly-anticipated events of the season. Players like Ohtani, Yamamoto, Imanaga and Suzuki, who in addition to being some of the best players in the Major Leagues, are also international superstars and heroes in their home country of Japan.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
33	5.73	13	1.00	1

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
33	5.73	13	1.00	1

Shota Imanaga

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Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, Cubs’ Shota Imanaga share heartfelt moment

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