Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga struggled with home runs once again Sunday night, allowing three long balls in a 7-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. The defeat extended the Cubs’ deficit to eight games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central and preceded a critical four-game series against the division leaders beginning Monday.
Imanaga, who pitched for the Cubs for a third season, had entered the game with encouragement from manager Craig Counsell, who emphasized confidence in the pitcher’s rotation spot despite recent difficulties. “Craig’s been telling me to have confidence in myself, and if I do, I can go dominate the hitters,” Imanaga said through an interpreter. However, the right-hander’s outing was marred once again by his persistent home run woes.
Imanaga yielded three home runs over four innings, marking the sixth time this season he has allowed three or more homers in a single start—a new franchise record. He has also given up a home run in six consecutive appearances and leads Major League Baseball with 33 home runs allowed on the season. Counsell acknowledged the severity of the problem following the game. “He gave up three homers and two had men on base,” Counsell said. “The math doesn’t really work there as far as having a good start.”
The Cubs got off to a promising start with a leadoff home run by Pete Crow-Armstrong, his eighth of the season and second straight game with a homer to open the inning. Imanaga managed to navigate early trouble, including escaping a first-inning double and retiring the side in order in the third. After a shaky fourth inning, highlighted by a bases-loaded three-run homer from Héctor Rodríguez, the Reds gained the lead. Additional home runs by Dane Myers and Tyler Stephenson in the fifth added to Imanaga’s difficulties.
Despite the loss, Crow-Armstrong provided an offensive bright spot with two solo home runs, finishing with his 12th multi-homer game of his career—his second consecutive—and his sixth this season. His 38th homer in the ninth inning puts him close to the 40-home run mark, a milestone only previously reached by Hall of Famer Billy Williams among left-handed hitters in Cubs history. Crow-Armstrong’s home run total is tied with Kyle Schwarber’s 2019 season for the second-most by a left-handed hitter in franchise history.
The weekend’s games were notable not only for Crow-Armstrong’s exploits but also for celebrations honoring Cubs legends. Former catcher Jody Davis and left-handed pitcher Jon Lester were inducted into the Cubs Hall of Fame before Sunday’s game. Both highlighted Crow-Armstrong’s emerging talent during the festivities. Davis remarked on the young player’s versatility and impact, referring to his performance as “an MVP-style season.”
The Cubs now face the Brewers in a pivotal four-game series at Wrigley Field starting Monday, where they will seek to close the gap in the division standings while hoping for improvement from their struggling starting pitching staff.