Imanaga strikes out career-high 11, adds another chapter to sparkling rookie season for Cubs

CHICAGO (AP) — The season may conclude short of the playoffs, but Shota Imanaga has done everything he can as a rookie for the 2024 Cubs.

And then some.

Imanaga struck out a career-high 11 in winning his fifth straight start, Dansby Swanson hit a three-run homer while tying his season high with four RBI, and the Cubs defeated the Oakland Athletics, 9-2, on Monday night at Wrigley Field to open a seven-game homestand.

To maintain any hope in the race for the third and final National League Wild Card spot, the Cubs will need to win just about every game on the homestand, plus get some significant help.

Chicago (77-73) remains five games behind the New York Mets (82-68) for the final NL Wild Card with 12 games remaining. The Mets rallied Monday night for an extra-innings win over the Washington Nationals.

The Atlanta Braves (81-69) loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night to fall a game behind the Mets, but still four games ahead of the Cubs. Additionally, both the Mets and Braves own the tiebreaker with the Cubs due to winning their respective season series with Chicago.

As of Tuesday morning, FanGraphs’ MLB Playoff Odds give the Cubs a 0.2% chance to reach the postseason.

Imanaga fantastic

Imanaga, now 14-3 on the season, has certainly done his part to keep those slim chances alive.

The 31-year-old rookie left-hander from Japan allowed five hits over six innings, including Brent Rooker’s 38th homer, a two run-drive in the third. Imanaga walked three and reached 14 wins for the first time as a professional in his first year in the majors after eight previous seasons in Japan.

“He’s a rookie, and he’s really talented and good,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “I hope there’s other things he’s got left to accomplish.”

Imanaga also reached 166 1/3 innings pitched for the season on Monday, topping his goal of throwing at least 162 in 2024.

“I’m being honest: I’m not too concerned about the amount of wins I have,” Imanaga said through a translator. “I think it’s more important to help the team win.”

Imanaga got 11 of his 22 misses Monday on split-finger fastballs.

“That pitch was super-effective,” Counsell said. “We thought they were going to be aggressive to the fastball, so the split turned out to be a really good pitch tonight.”

Isaac Paredes and Miguel Amaya each had three hits and drove in two runs in an 18-hit attack to back Imanaga. Paredes is 14 for his last 29 (.483) with seven RBI over his last eight games.

Seiya Suzuki had three hits, among seven Cubs starters with multi-hit games.

Trey Wingenter followed Imanaga with two scoreless innings, and Jack Neely worked around a pair of singles in the ninth.

A’s starter Joey Estes (7-8) gave up six runs and nine hits. He was chased after the first six Cubs batters in the second hit safely.

“Not good,” Estes said. “I gave up a three-run homer, I guess that was my damage, but everything else was cheap hits, just found that gap. I just couldn’t get an out that inning.

“I personally felt I was unlucky. I would get two strikes. I would throw a good pitch, and they would hit it off the end of the bat for a blooper or soft-hit ball through the hole.”

Paredes hit a two-out RBI single in the first, and Chicago blew open the game with a five-run second. Amaya and Ian Happ had RBI singles, then Swanson followed with his 15th homer, a drive into the basket in left.

“We put together a lot of hits right out of the gate,” Swanson said. “We kind of kept the momentum going on offense.”

Rooker went deep for the second straight game and added a single as Oakland lost its third straight. The previous two were on the South Side against the White Sox, who had not won back-to-back games in nearly three months.

Trainer’s room

Cubs: LHP Justin Steele (left elbow tendinitis) is progressing after a bullpen session on Saturday and threw a “light touch-and-feel” off a mound on Monday, Counsell said. Counsell added that Steele could pitch again this season.