The Cubs have a Shota Imanaga problem, but they’re not ready to admit it.
The left-hander allowed three home runs Sunday night in a 7-5 loss to the Reds, marking the sixth time this season he has allowed at least three in a game. That’s a record for a franchise that celebrated its 150th year this weekend.
“He gave up three homers, and two had men on base,” manager Craig Counsell said. “The math doesn’t really work there as far as having a good start. We know Shota is going to give up some home runs. That’s the nature of his repertoire. Three in a start, that’s too many.”
At least Imanaga lasted longer than the two innings he pitched in his last start a week before in Seattle. But the Cubs overcame that to win 19-2. They gave themselves a chance against Reds ace Chase Burns, taking a 2-0 lead into the fourth, but the offense was too little, too late.
Imanaga allowed a three-run homer to Hector Rodriguez (his fourth homer of the season), a solo shot to Dane Myers (his sixth) and a two-run shot to Tyler Stephenson on a pitch out of the strike zone, making it 6-3 in the fifth.
“The mistake pitches that I can’t throw end up in zones that they’re going to hit,” Imanaga said through a translator. “And here, those swings don’t end up in singles; those end up in home runs. There’s a lot of frustration within myself. But I need to be the one to figure it out.”
Counsell pushed back on the suggestion that Imanaga’s rotation spot is in jeopardy.
“He’s not having a bad season,” Counsell said. “He’s having a pretty decent season. I wouldn’t say that at all, no. We need Shota. We need Shota to be good for us. So we have to work at helping him be better.”
Davis, Lester get blue jackets
Former Cubs catcher Jody Davis and pitcher Jon Lester were inducted into the Cubs’ Hall of Fame and received their blue jackets in pregame ceremonies.
Davis was a two-time All-Star in eight seasons with the Cubs, including 1984, when the team won the National League East for its first postseason appearance in 39 years.
Lester also was a two-time All-Star in five full seasons with the Cubs, but his postseason achievement was more notable. He helped the 2016 team end the club’s 108-year World Series-championship drought.
Notes
The Cubs released 2020 first-round pick (16th overall) and Chicago native Ed Howard from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday. Between Iowa and Double-A Knoxville this season, the shortstop was hitting .168 with a .469 OPS and two homers in 52 games.
• Right-hander Edward Cabrera (blister on middle finger) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday at Iowa.
On deck
BREWERS AT CUBS
Monday: Kyle Harrison (10-3, 2.79 ERA) vs. Clay Holmes (5-6, 2.26), 6:40 p.m., Marquee, 670-AM, 104.3-FM.
Tuesday: Robert Gasser (4-5, 4.59) vs. Matthew Boyd (8-3, 3.99), 6:40 p.m., Marquee, 670-AM, 104.3-FM.
Wednesday: Jacob Misiorowski (14-5, 1.73) vs. David Peterson (7-7, 5.11), 6:40 p.m., Marquee, 670-AM, 104.3-FM.
Thursday: Logan Henderson (9-2, 2.48) vs. Kevin Gausman (8-11, 4.52), 6:15 p.m., Fox 32, 670-AM, 104.3-FM.