Former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell explained his decision to pull Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanagi following Wednesday night’s game at Wrigley Field against the Pittsburgh Pirates without a hit.
Imanaga was replaced in the bullpen after pitching seven scoreless, hitless innings. He allowed just a pair of walks and struck out seven Pirates players in 95 pitches.
Former Milwaukee Brewers Manager Craig Counsell Talks About Shot Imanaga
Counsell said after the match that the decision was about “looking after Shota and making sure we do the right thing by him,” according to the Associated Press (source: ESPN).
“It’s not fun, but when the priority is a player’s health and you don’t know what’s going to happen down the road, we want him to stay healthy,” added Counsell, who is in his first season as Cubs manager after a long stint with the Brewers.
The Cubs finished the game without a hit, with Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge taking care of the job on the field after Imanagi left.
Chicago’s no-hitter against the Pirates was the club’s first at Wrigley Field since 1972. The Cubs’ last no-hitter before Wednesday came in 2021 at Dodger Stadium and was also another collaborative effort by Chicago’s pitching staff, with Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin and Craig Kimbrel combining to make history.
The Cubs improved to 72-68 with the victory. They are second in the National League Central Division, nine games behind the struggling Brewers. The Milwaukee team, at 81-59, has lost three of its last four games and both of its last two.
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