For the first time this season, Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga wasn’t completely in control of the game.
In the Cubs’ 6-2 loss Wednesday to the Rangers, a four-run rally in the fifth inning spelled the end of his outing. It was the first time all season that Imanaga had given up multiple runs in a start. And the five-inning effort stood out after he had thrown at least seven innings his last two starts.
“I thought he pitched fine,” manager Craig Counsell said.
“They hit some balls well. And it was kind of a difficult day in the outfield, for sure, with balls hit hard.”
The Rangers had exit velocities of more than 100 mph on seven balls in play against Imanaga. Three were caught for outs. The others were a single, a double and two home runs.
The first long ball was a solo shot by Corey Seager in the first inning, the only run and one of only two hits Imanaga surrendered in the first four innings.
“I feel like, in order to level up as a pitcher, that fifth inning, I’ve got to keep it to two runs, then go back out in the sixth,” Imanaga said. “So that way I can go six innings, three runs.”
The first hit Imanaga allowed in the fifth was just well-placed. Second baseman Nico Hoerner had to cross to the other side of the bag to reach Kevin Pillar’s up-the-middle grounder. Hoerner’s jump throw wasn’t quite in time. Then Rangers designated hitter Jonah Heim launched an inside fastball into the left-field bleachers about five rows deep to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead.
Imanaga struck out Leody Taveras for the first out of the inning, but that didn’t keep it from spiraling. Marcus Semien scorched a line drive off leaping shortstop Dansby Swanson’s glove and into left field for a single. Josh Jung lined a two-out RBI double off the center-field wall. And Adolis Garcia’s bloop hit into no-man’s land in shallow left-center field put the final touches on the offensive push.
The Cubs’ bullpen limited the Rangers to one run the rest of the way, a right-field basket shot by Seager off right-hander Nate Pearson.
Pearson gave the team two innings. Eli Morgan and Ethan Roberts, who was recalled Wednesday when the Cubs put Justin Steele (left elbow tendinitis) on the 15-day injured list, contributed a scoreless inning each.
Bats finally quiet
After scoring 17 runs the previous two games combined, the Cubs’ offense ended the series with a whimper.
Rangers starter Tyler Mahle pitched seven innings and held the Cubs to two hits — Seiya Suzuki’s triple and Michael Busch’s RBI single, back-to-back, in the fourth inning. The Cubs scored only one more run against the Rangers’ bullpen, on an RBI single by Suzuki in the ninth inning.
As of the end of the game, the Cubs still had the best run differential (plus-28) in the majors.
Homestand musings
The Cubs went 4-2 in their first Wrigley Field homestand, winning series against the previously undefeated Padres and the American League West favorite Rangers.
“It’s a winning homestand, and it’s on to the next challenge,” Counsell said.
That will be a trip to Los Angeles to play the reigning World Series champion Dodgers and to San Diego to take on the Padres again.
