Shota Imanaga 2-Hits Yanks. Chicago 4 Cubs NY 1

July 14, 2025 paperbacklou 2025 0

Shota Imanaga pitched 7 innings of 2-hit ball and the Chicago bullpen finished up with 2 shutout innings to deny the Yanks of any Amazing comeback — as the Cubs beat NY 4-1 on a beautiful, 80-degree, sunny Sunday afternoon in the Bronx.

Giancarlo Stanton hit a solo HR in the 2nd inning, Jazz Chisholm Jr. walked behind him but was thrown out trying to steal 2nd, and Austin Wells singled in the 6th but was eliminated on a double play. And that was the only Yankee offense of the afternoon.

Imanaga, Drew Pomeranz, and Daniel Palencia faced a near-minimum 28 batters. Everyone on the Yanks batted only 3 times, sans leadoff batter Paul Goldschmidt.

Imanaga, the 30-year-old, 5’11 lefty goes to 6-3 2.65 after going 15-3 2.91 last year, his rookie season.

“Good sequencing,” said Giancarlo Stanton about Imanaga. “Placement as well. He was using all sides of the plate. And all 3 pitches were working.”

“He was ahead of us a lot,” said manager Aaron Boone about Imanaga. “Kind of that back and forth — the change, splitter coupled with locating the fastball. He used them both. Similar to (Matt) Boyd. Boyd did that to us — he’d kind of slow you down then pop you. (Imanaga) mixed in the sweeper a little bit too.”

NY falls to 53-43, but remain 2 games back of Toronto who lost. Boston won their 10th in a row and are only a game back of NY; Tampa lost so remain 5.5 out in the division. Chicago improves to 57-39, in 1st in the NL Central by 1 game over pesky Milwaukee as all teams head into the 4-days-off All Star break.

1. Giancarlo Blast Ties It 1-1 in 2nd

The only run the Yankees got was a solo HR to right center by Giancarlo Stanton in the 2nd, tying the game 1-1 at the time.

2. Warren Shaky Early But Does Well

Will Warren was shaky early but ended up pitching a real fine ballgame — which has been his usual start this year.

He allowed a leadoff HR to Michael Busch — 390 feet to center — to start the game, then allowed a walk and single — but got a fly out and double play to end the 1st.

Warren got in more trouble in the 2nd — a leadoff single, then a 2-out single, but got Busch to fly out to the wall in center to end the inning.

And then — after Giancarlo tied the game 1-1 with a HR in the bottom of the 2nd — Warren settled down, pitching a 1-2-3 inning in the 3rd.

Warren was again on the ropes in the 4th — a leadoff single and a walk — but then got 3 straight outs.

He worked around a 1-out walk in the 5th, and then in the 6th allowed a leadoff double to catcher Carson Kelly that Jasson Dominguez “just” missed catching in left.

Warren got the next batter Ian Happ to ground out and was relieved by Ian Hamilton in a 1-1 game.

Warren’s line: 5.1 IP, 6 hits, 2 runs, 1 K, 3 walks. He loses to go 6-5 4.63.

“I told him as much coming out,” said manager Boone about Warren. “That’s a day where they had a lot of good at bats against him; wasn’t necessarily his best — didn’t have his best command, but kind of navigated it. And that’s what the good one do. When they’re not necessarily at their best they still manage to find a way.”

“We got some fortune on a couple of balls where they got good swings and they stayed in the ballpark,” continued Boone. “But he didn’t give in, he didn’t buckle when he was in trouble.”

3. Hamilton Coughs Up 2-Run HR in 6th

But Ian Hamilton came in and hung a slider on his 2nd pitch to Dansby Swanson, who hit a 381-foot HR to left and it was a 3-1 game just like that.

4. Volpe Great Play Foiled

Tim Hill struck out the first 2 batters of the 7th, but Suzuki doubled to right. With 2 outs, Pete Crow-Armstrong hit one up the middle that Anthony Volpe made a terrific play on — but just missed getting Crow-Armstrong at 1st and Suzuki dashed home for a 4-1 game.

5. Imanaga Smokes NY

Meanwhile Imanaga was simply smoking NY — 1-2-3 inning after 1-2-3 inning. Austin Wells led off the 6th with a single in a 1-1 game, but Oswald Peraza popped out and Paul Goldschmidt grounded out. And that was the Yankee’s only rally of the game besides Big G’s HR.

6. No Amazing, Amazing Comeback

Drew Pomeranz pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 8th, and Chicago relief ace Daniel Palencia threw a 1-2-3 inning in the 9th — ground out, strike out of Ben Rice, and fly out by Goldschmidt for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401696343

 

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