Well-rested Imanaga delivers first dud in loss to Brewers
MILWAUKEE — Most decisions seem easier in hindsight. When it comes to the extended time off given Cubs pitching sensation Shota Imanaga, rest equaled rust.
Imanaga delivered his first rough outing of the season Wednesday, a 10-6 loss to Milwaukee. The Brewers bashed 8 hits in the first three innings, including 2 home runs and 2 doubles.
Imanaga was charged with 7 earned runs in 4⅓ innings, and his season ERA more than doubled, going from 0.84 to 1.86.
The left-hander's last scheduled start was rained out in St. Louis on Friday. Instead of pushing him to the next day, the Cubs decided to continue with the scheduled rotation. So Imanaga ended up with 11 days between starts.
“I don't think there was really an issue with that,” Imanaga said through his translator. “I felt really recovered, no issues with my shoulder, my elbow, so it felt good.”
During Fernando Valenzuela's legendary 1981 season, he started the year with eight straight complete games and a 0.50 ERA. Then beginning with start No. 9, Valenzuela gave up 24 earned runs in the next five games, which added up to a 6.97 ERA.
The point is, no great run lasts forever. Wednesday was Imanaga's 10th start with the Cubs. He beat Valenzuela's rookie performance through nine games, but everyone knew this would happen eventually.
“I felt good, but unfortunately today, it wasn't there,” Imanaga said. “So I apologize to (manager Craig) Counsell for not having it today. I think the difference between today and the past outings is my changeup, I didn't throw it where I wanted to.”
Before the game Counsell mentioned the decision to delay Imanaga's start was based in part on how the future schedule sets up. He'll get an extra day of rest before his next scheduled date against the White Sox on Tuesday, and he will continue his run of not facing the same team twice for a few more weeks — at least until June 21, when he'd be scheduled to get a second look at the Mets.
“I guess the historic start is over,” Counsell said. “The great start is still here. Nothing changes from my perspective. He's been a joy to watch, he's been a huge part of us getting a bunch of wins and look forward to him going out there again.”
As anyone who's watched Imanaga knows, he's been living by the fastball at the top of the zone, then countering with a splitter that drops low. The Brewers' early hits in this game came on fastballs in the middle of the zone, not the top. Three batters into the game, the Cubs trailed 2-0 after a Joey Ortiz double and long Christian Yelich home run.
“Joey set the tone and then Yelly came up huge for us and just really let everybody know, 'Hey guys, we can get on this guy,'” Milwaukee manager Pat Muphy said. “This guy's been as good as there is in the game. He had a long break. Sometimes that doesn't help.
“You think it's helping and I'm sure he needed it, but he's been lights out. Watching video of him, it's hard to find any footage of anybody squaring balls up.”
Murphy ultimately credited the Brewers' defense for the win. The Cubs barely missed adding 6 more runs on a pair of near-homers. Brewers center fielder Blake Perkins reached above the wall to rob Christopher Morel of a 2-run homer in the third. It was a play very similar to Cody Bellinger's robbery of Willy Adames in Tuesday's game.
Then with the bases loaded in the fifth, Dansby Swanson drove Perkins to the wall in center, missing a go-ahead grand slam by a few feet, though Perkins didn't need to jump for that one. Perkins added a diving catch on the warning track in the seventh to prevent an extra-base hit for Ian Happ, who homered in the second inning.
Four Cubs collected 2 hits, which suggests they may be snapping out of a long offensive slump.
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