<!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-craig-counsell-shota-imanaga-didnt-have-anything-white-sox');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs’ Craig Counsell says Shota Imanaga ‘didn’t have anything’ vs. White Sox');   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/2025/07/Shota-Imanaga-2.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cubs’ Craig Counsell says Shota Imanaga ‘didn’t have anything’ vs. White Sox</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-25T22:19:01-07:00">July 25th, 10:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-25T22:19:01-07:00">July 25th, 10:19pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Cubs came into their crosstown series against the Chicago White Sox as the heavy favorites, as the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-rumors-chicagos-x-factor-trade-deadline">Cubs have established themselves as World Series contenders</a> while the White Sox have struggled to remain competitive once again in 2025. However, that didn’t matter when the two teams took the field for the opening game of the three-game set, as the White Sox dominated in a 12-5 win.</p><p>Cubs ace Shota Imanaga took the bump for the visitors and had one of the worst games of his entire career. He made it through just three full innings of work, giving up 12 hits and seven earned runs on 85 pitches. Imanaga didn’t give up a walk, but he only was able to strike out two batters in the game.</p><p>After the game, Cubs manager Craig Counsell <a href="https://x.com/WatchMarquee/status/1948939252571496482" rel="noopener">didn’t hold back</a> when talking about his star pitcher’s performance, via Marquee Sports Network.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“He just didn’t have anything tonight, and they made him pay for it.”</p><p>Shota Imanaga allowed 7 ER in 3.0 IP. <a href="https://t.co/Cn38Cvg33Y">pic.twitter.com/Cn38Cvg33Y</a></p><p>— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) <a href="https://twitter.com/WatchMarquee/status/1948939252571496482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“He just didn’t have anything tonight and they made him pay for it,” Counsell said. “Stuff wasn’t crisp. It wasn’t good.”</p><p>Imanaga wasn’t quite as hard on himself, but he <a href="https://x.com/WatchMarquee/status/1948941059305750604" rel="noopener">dissected his poor performance</a> after the game as well.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Shota Imanaga speaks on his outing tonight. <a href="https://t.co/7iNbnMZma3">pic.twitter.com/7iNbnMZma3</a></p><p>— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) <a href="https://twitter.com/WatchMarquee/status/1948941059305750604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>” I need to work on my skills,” Imanaga said, through an interpreter. “I’ve had that in the past where maybe physically I don’t feel 100% or at my A-game, but I still manage to figure out ways to compete. Tonight, the opposition just came out on top. I just need to figure out a way to work on that.”</p><p>Imanaga drops to 7-4 with this loss, but his season-long numbers are still excellent. He entered the game with a 2.40 ERA in 13 starts, so they will still look pretty good even after this disastrous performance.</p><p>The Cubs still have two more cracks at their crosstown rivals over the weekend in the Crosstown Classic, and will be favored to win both games and come out on top in the series even after dropping the first game on Friday night. However, they will need to bring their best in order to beat a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/white-sox-news-colson-montgomery-keeps-home-run-streak-going-vs-cubs">White Sox team that has shockingly been one of the hottest units</a> in Major League Baseball since returning from the All-Star break.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs’ Craig Counsell says Shota Imanaga ‘didn’t have anything’ vs. White Sox

<!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-michael-busch-celebrates-shota-imanaga-vs-red-sox');   ga('set', 'title', 'Michael Busch celebrates Cubs ace Shota Imanaga after impressive showing vs. Red Sox');   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/2025/07/Shota-Imanaga-cover.jpg"></figure><h1>Michael Busch celebrates Cubs ace Shota Imanaga after impressive showing vs. Red Sox</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-20T01:12:01-07:00">July 20th, 1:12am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-20T01:12:01-07:00">July 20th, 1:12am</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Michael Busch wasn’t shy <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-news-cubs-shota-imanaga-earns-masterful-label-after-shutting-down-yankees">about where he stands on Cubs ace Shota Imanaga.</a> After Imanaga tossed seven shutout innings in a 6-0 win over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday night, the slugging first baseman <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/michael-busch-s-leadoff-home-run-leads-cubs-to-series-win" rel="noopener">summed it up</a>: “He’s one of the best pitchers in the world.” And frankly, it’s getting hard to argue with that.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Fly the W 🙌<a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ken_Rosenthal</a> spoke with Michael Busch after the Cubs shutout win against the Red Sox at Wrigley ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/sd2BlHBjYz">pic.twitter.com/sd2BlHBjYz</a></p><p>— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBONFOX/status/1946783065067667939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-shota-imanagas-injury-return-results-pitcher-dfa">Imanaga has been nothing short of elite since returning</a> from a hamstring injury in late June. In five starts since being activated from the IL, he’s gone 4-1 with a sparkling 1.78 ERA. Against two of the most iconic franchises in baseball — the Yankees and the Red Sox — the left-hander gave up just one run over 14 combined innings, with 11 strikeouts and only two walks.</p><p>On Saturday, the Red Sox had no answers. Imanaga scattered seven hits but didn’t allow a run, keeping Boston hitters off-balance with precision and poise. His performance helped Chicago (59-39) leapfrog Detroit for the best record in baseball.</p><p>“It’s mentally tough when that first pitch gets hit — especially for a double,” Imanaga said, reflecting on Rob Refsnyder’s leadoff knock. “At that moment, I thought that it’s OK if I gave up a run. It’s more important to stack up outs.”</p><h2><b>Cubs win the series over Red Sox, will go for the sweep on Sunday</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Shota-Imanaga-cover-1.jpg"><figcaption>David Banks-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Stack them up he did. Imanaga struck out Romy Gonzalez and Roman Anthony to end the first, then kept cruising from there. Cubs manager Craig Counsell praised the 31-year-old’s ability to lock in, saying, “That’s the nature of pitching. You get locked in for 90 pitches, and the next start doesn’t promise you anything. Shota is just so good at getting people out.”</p><p>Behind Imanaga’s brilliance, the Cubs offense gave plenty of support — and Busch got things started early. Batting leadoff for the third straight game, the 27-year-old took the first pitch he saw, a 96.3 mph sinker from Brayan Bello, and deposited it into the left-field bleachers for his 20th homer of the season.</p><p>“I’ve done a little [leadoff hitting] in college and the minors,” Busch said. “It’s a little different, but it’s kind of like leading off an inning. You just try to have your at-bat.”</p><p>The Cubs followed his lead. Kyle Tucker went yard four pitches later, and Matt Shaw, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Ian Happ added solo shots to complete the five-homer night. The Cubs are now 31-9 in games where they hit at least two homers, and they’ve gone back-to-back 12 times this season.</p><p>Busch’s breakout campaign continues to fuel Chicago’s rise. After a solid rookie season in 2024, he’s now batting .289 with a .374 OBP, .926 OPS, 20 home runs, and 60 RBIs — ranking among the top offensive producers on the roster.</p><p>“He’s just become a complete hitter,” Counsell said. “He’s dangerous. He’s got good plate discipline and power. That’s a pretty darn good combo.”</p><p>The Cubs made a lineup tweak heading into the All-Star break, using Busch in the leadoff spot against righties and Nico Hoerner against lefties. That shift also moved Ian Happ down in the order — a move Counsell said he hopes will spark Happ offensively. The three-time Gold Glove winner came into Saturday batting just .129 with 17 strikeouts since June 26 but launched a solo homer in the eighth to help pad the lead.</p><p>“Happ’s an important part of this offense,” Counsell said. “I think he’s going to have a big last two and a half months.” With elite pitching, timely power, and a quietly dangerous lineup, the Cubs aren’t just winning — they’re proving they’re built for October.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Michael Busch celebrates Cubs ace Shota Imanaga after impressive showing vs. Red Sox

<!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-cubs-shota-imanaga-earns-masterful-label-after-shutting-down-yankees');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs’ Shota Imanaga earns ‘masterful’ label after shutting down Yankees');   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/2025/07/Shota-Imanaga-quieted-the-New-York-Yankees-lineup-in-impressive-fashion.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cubs’ Shota Imanaga earns ‘masterful’ label after shutting down Yankees</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-13T16:20:13-07:00">July 13th, 4:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-13T16:20:13-07:00">July 13th, 4:20pm</time><address><a>Steve Silverman</a>Steve Silverman has been covering the NFL for more than 35 years, and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly, and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including "Who's Better, Who's Best in the NFL." He has won multiple awards from the Pro Football Writers of America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-rumors-chicago-make-official-all-star-game-announcement">Chicago Cubs</a> have had a masterful first half of the season and they go into the All-Star Break in first place in the National League Central Division with a 1.0-game lead over the hard-charging Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs are coming off a series victory over the New York Yankees, winning two of three games at Yankee Stadium. Staff ace Shota Imanaga pitched 7.0 innings Sunday for the Cubs in their 4-1 triumph.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"Matt Boyd was masterful yesterday, Shota was masterful today."</p><p>Craig Counsell tips his cap to the Cubs' starting pitching 👏 <a href="https://t.co/46lQjHzOC2">pic.twitter.com/46lQjHzOC2</a></p><p>— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) <a href="https://twitter.com/WatchMarquee/status/1944496183260467506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The left-handed pitcher was on top of his game against the Bronx Bombers. He allowed just two hits and one earned run while striking out six batters and walking one.</p><p>Cubs manager Craig Counsell <a href="https://twitter.com/WatchMarquee/status/1944496183260467506">was thrilled</a> with the performance of Imanaga and Matt Boyd over the weekend. Boyd was razor sharp in Saturday’s 5-2 triumph over the Yankees. He pitched 8.0 innings, allowing four hits while striking out six batters and not issuing any free passes. The Yankees scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning off of Cubs relief pitching.</p><p>Imanaga improved to 6-3 as he dominated against the Yankees with his command and control. He threw 91 pitches  and 56 of them were strikes. Imanaga has made four starts since returning from a strained left hamstring. He has a 2.65 earned run average.</p><h2><b>Cubs on track for best year since 2016 World Series victory</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Craig-Counsell-and-the-Cubs-have-a-stopper-in-Shota-Imanaga.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-pete-crow-armstrong-makes-mlb-history-vs-twins">The Cubs</a> have suffered a number of pitching injuries this season, but Boyd and Imanaga have given Counsell strength and consistency at the top of the rotation. They will need both pitchers to continue to lead the way in the second half of the season.</p><p>Boyd will be headed to the All-Star Game in Atlanta as one of the National League pitchers. He has a 10-3 record with a 2.34 ERA while striking out 102 batters in 111.2 innings. He has given up 92 hits, 23 walks and 10 home runs.</p><p>The Cubs have had a dynamic offense throughout the season. They have been led by All-Stars Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker, both of whom will be in the starting lineup for the National League in Tuesday’s game.</p><p>Crow-Armstrong is a legitimate MVP candidate with a slash line of .265/.302/.544 with 25 home runs, 71 runs batted in and 27 stolen bases. He is also a brilliant centerfielder. Tucker is slashing .280/.384/.499 with 17 home runs and 56 RBI.</p><p>Seiya Suzuki has also had a remarkably productive season that includes 25 home runs and 77 RBI while slashing .263/.319/.547.</p><p>The Cubs will try to hold off the Brewers to win the division for the first time since the 2020 season. The Cubs have a 57-39 record as they head into the All-Star break. That’s the second-best mark in the National League behind the 58-39 Los Angeles Dodgers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs’ Shota Imanaga earns ‘masterful’ label after shutting down Yankees

<!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-craig-counsell-shota-imanaga-warning');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs’ Craig Counsell sends Shota Imanaga warning to opponents');   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/2025/07/Shota-Imanaga.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Cubs’ Craig Counsell sends Shota Imanaga warning to opponents</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-08T22:57:09-07:00">July 8th, 10:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-08T22:57:09-07:00">July 8th, 10:57pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Cubs may have dropped Tuesday night’s matchup to the Minnesota Twins, but<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-craig-counsell-provides-shota-imanaga-injury-update"> all eyes were on Shota Imanaga</a> — and manager Craig Counsell made sure the league took notice. The Cubs skipper sent a strong message after the game, warning opponents that the Japanese left-hander isn’t even at his best yet.</p><p>In a clip posted by Marquee Sports Network on X (formerly known as Twitter), Counsell <a href="https://x.com/WatchMarquee/status/1942772347313770666" rel="noopener">praised</a> Imanaga’s performance while hinting at an even higher ceiling.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"I don't think he's as good as he can be yet, but he's getting people out."</p><p>Craig Counsell on Shota Imanaga's performance tonight. <a href="https://t.co/S7HW5rV2pf">pic.twitter.com/S7HW5rV2pf</a></p><p>— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) <a href="https://twitter.com/WatchMarquee/status/1942772347313770666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I don’t think he’s as good as he can be yet, but he’s getting people out.”</p><p>Despite the Cubs’ 8-1 loss to Minnesota, fueled largely by bullpen struggles and an ice cold night at the plate, Imanaga’s outing was a silver lining. The southpaw went six full innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs, while walking none and allowing no home runs. He threw 83 pitches, 61 for strikes, and held opposing batters at bay all night.</p><p>It marked Imanaga’s third consecutive strong outing since returning from the injured list, building on 5.0 shutout innings against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 26th, and a 5.1 inning effort against the Cleveland Guardians on July 2nd. His steady progression has brought much-needed stability to the Cubs rotation following Jameson Taillon’s recent absence due to a right calf strain.</p><p>Imanaga’s efficiency continues to impress. He’s posted a 2.80 ERA and 0.98 WHIP through 55 innings this season — numbers that rank among the best on the team. He also demonstrated key in-game adjustments against the Twins, shutting them down over his final five innings after allowing two early runs.</p><p>As the NL Central standings tighten, Chicago needs every arm firing. With a 54-37 record, the Cubs hold a narrow 2.5-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers. That lead could vanish quickly without consistent pitching, which is why Imanaga’s resurgence is so timely.</p><p>Counsell’s postgame quote doesn’t just reflect belief — it’s a strategic statement to the rest of the National League. If this is Imanaga still ramping up, what happens when he’s fully back?</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/3-sneaky-trades-cubs-must-make-boost-world-series-chances">The Cubs are chasing more than a division title</a> this season. They’re building toward October — and if Imanaga continues this trend, he could be one of the most dangerous pitchers come postseason time.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs’ Craig Counsell sends Shota Imanaga warning to opponents

<!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-ian-happs-big-trade-mic-drop-shota-imanaga-injury-return');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ian Happ’s ‘big trade’ mic drop on Cubs’ Shota Imanaga injury return');   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/2025/05/Ian-Happ-Before-a-game-vs-Giants.jpg"><figcaption>© Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Ian Happ’s ‘big trade’ mic drop on Cubs’ Shota Imanaga injury return</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-27T08:04:39-07:00">June 27th, 8:04am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-27T08:04:39-07:00">June 27th, 8:04am</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/colinloughran">Colin Loughran</a>Colin Loughran is a NYC-based Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He has spent several years covering sports and has worked for outlets such as the New York Post, AP Radio, and FanSided. Colin is also a three-time NYSBA award winner and a proud graduate of Fordham University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-rumors-yankees-dodgers-cubs-could-fight-over-trade-deadline-prize">Chicago Cubs have been one of baseball’s most pleasant surprises</a> this season, and outfielder Ian Happ recently <a href="https://x.com/WatchMarquee/status/1938364149899448342" rel="noopener">described a new development</a> as one that could pay major dividends down the road.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-shota-imanagas-injury-return-results-pitcher-dfa">Cubs starter Shota Imanaga recently returned</a> from a strained left hamstring that had kept him out since May 4. There was real anticipation from teammates even before the ace officially made it to the bump.</p><p>“It’s almost like having a big trade in the middle of the season,” Happ said on The “Compound Podcast.</p><p>Imnanaga pitched five scoreless innings against the rival St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday and helped Chicago cement a 3-0 victory. The 31-year-old tossed three strikeouts and <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45590966/cubs-activate-p-imanaga-il-designate-p-fulmer-assignment" rel="noopener">only allowed one hit.</a></p><p>“He did a really good job for us,” catcher Carson Kelly told reporters after the game. “He came in and established his heater and his splitter, and what he does really, really good is tunnel the two and get in some good counts.”</p><p>The lefty threw his splitter 30 percent of the time on Thursday night. He induced three whiffs, one called strike, and five balls in play <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/gamefeed?date=6/26/2025&amp;gamePk=777348&amp;chartType=pitch&amp;legendType=pitchName&amp;playerType=pitcher&amp;inning=&amp;count=&amp;pitchHand=&amp;batSide=&amp;descFilter=&amp;ptFilter=&amp;resultFilter=&amp;hf=playerBreakdown&amp;sportId=1&amp;liveAb=#777348" rel="noopener">with the pitch.</a></p><p>Imanaga’s presence is a welcome sight. Across 29 starts in 2024, he earned 15 wins and a 2.91 ERA. Prior to the injury, he had posted a 2.82 ERA through his first eight starts and looked surefire All-Star.</p><p>“He controlled the environment. It looked like he’d been out there for every single start,” Cubs Counsell said of Imanaga after . “[There’s] a tendency to get overamped in a start like that. I thought he controlled his effort level really well, his energy level really well, and that caused a lot of good execution.”</p><p>The Cubs are currently first in the National League. Factors such as the emergence of Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker’s torrid start have energized Chicago’s lineup. If Imanaga can lead the rotation down the stretch, the Cubs could be a threat to make an October run.</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

Latest Shota Imanaga News

Cubs’ Craig Counsell says Shota Imanaga ‘didn’t have anything’ vs. White Sox

Michael Busch celebrates Cubs ace Shota Imanaga after impressive showing vs. Red Sox

Cubs’ Shota Imanaga earns ‘masterful’ label after shutting down Yankees

Cubs’ Craig Counsell sends Shota Imanaga warning to opponents

Ian Happ’s ‘big trade’ mic drop on Cubs’ Shota Imanaga injury return

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