Imanaga was lifted after 95 pitches and seven innings of work
Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga had a sparkling night on the mound, playing a huge role in a combined no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team's first at Wrigley Field in more than 50 years.
Imanaga went seven innings, allowing just two walks and seven strikeouts while throwing 95 pitches. He was lifted from the game prior to the eighth inning, with Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge finishing things off for the history-making night.
The decision to bring Pearson into the game in the eighth inning was greeted with boos by Cubs fans at Wrigley, but he quickly worked a drama-free eighth inning and Hodge did the same in the ninth in the history-making game.
According to the Cubs, it is the first no-hitter thrown by the team at Wrigley Field since 1972, when Milt Pappas did the honors.
The no-hitter was the fourth this season in Major League Baseball, with Ronel Blanco, Blake Snell and Dylan Case all pitching no-nos.
The last Cubs’ no-hitter occurred in June 2021, when Zach Davies, Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin and Craig Kimbrel combined to blank the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
The game marked the 326th no-hitter in MLB history, with the Cubs accounting for 18 of those games. Ken Holtzman and Jake Arrieta each threw two no-hitters apiece in their careers with the North Siders.
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The Cubs’ bats meanwhile came to life after two rough games, blasting the Pirates 12-0 in the series finale between the clubs.
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