Imanaga dazzles again as Cubs hold off rain, Dodgers in series finale before heading on long road trip

CHICAGO (AP) — Only rain has been able to get to Shota Imanaga through the first two starts of his big-league career.

The rookie left-hander from Japan threw four shutout innings in a rain-shortened start Sunday — making it 10 scoreless frames to begin his career — and Cody Bellinger homered against his former team, as the Chicago Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-1, at Wrigley Field.

The teams slogged through a cold, rainy afternoon and a long rain delay, but the Cubs prevailed in the rubber match of the three-game weekend set, sending them off on a high note to a three-city, nine-game swing out West.

The Cubs begin a three-game series in San Diego against the Padres on Monday night, followed by three-game road sets against the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Japanese stars showcased

Imanaga was lifted after Sunday’s game resumed following a weather delay of nearly three hours. The left-hander allowed two singles, struck out three and walked none.

In two big-league starts, he’s allowed no runs on four hits with 12 strikeouts and no walks over 10 innings.

“It’s not necessarily anything to build confidence,” Imanaga said through an interpreter. “I just want to make sure I stay healthy and be able to pitch the whole season.”

The Cubs won for the sixth time in seven games and took two of three in a weekend set that showcased four of the majors’ top Japanese players, Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki for the Cubs and Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the Dodgers.

Imanaga, Ohtani and Yamamoto were teammates on the Team Japan squad that won the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Yamamoto, who signed a $325 million, 12-year contract with Los Angeles in December, threw five scoreless innings for his first career major-league victory Saturday, striking out eight in the Dodgers’ 4-1 victory.

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The stage was set Sunday for Imanaga, who signed a $53 million, four-year contract with the Cubs in January.

He delivered right away by striking out Ohtani swinging in the first inning after falling behind in the count, 3-1. Imanaga also got Ohtani to foul out to third.

“When he stood in the box, he’s very tall, and he has a presence about him, and he has a really good swing,” Imanaga said through an interpreter.

Ohtani, who finalized a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December, doubled in Mookie Betts in the eighth inning Sunday to account for the Dodgers’ only run. Ohtani also hit a two-out triple in the sixth, but Freddie Freeman bounced to third for the final out of the inning.

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In Friday’s series opener, a 9-7 Cubs win, Ohtani hit a two-run homer in his first career game at Wrigley.

Suzuki, meanwhile, hit a sacrifice fly for Chicago in the second inning of Sunday’s series finale and has 10 RBI in his last five games.

Playing former team

Bellinger belted his second homer of the season Sunday, a solo shot in the sixth, against the team he played the first six seasons of his big-league career for, winning National League MVP honors in 2019 and a World Series title in 2020.

Cubs reliever Yency Almonte (1-0) struck out two in a scoreless inning Sunday to get credited with the victory against his former team, Daniel Palencia worked three innings for his first career save and Michael Busch hit a bases-clearing double against his former team to put the Cubs ahead, 3-0, in the first.

Busch and Almonte were acquired in a trade with Los Angeles in January.

Chicago loaded the bases in the first on Freeman’s error, a single and a walk to set up Busch’s three-run double.

Gavin Stone (0-1) allowed five runs — one earned — and four hits in three innings for the Dodgers.

“They played very good defense,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “There were some plays we just didn’t make.”

The Wrigley Field grounds crew worked on the mound and infield throughout the rainy, cold afternoon. The game was stopped with the Cubs leading, 6-0, in the bottom of the fourth.

The field situation left the Dodgers frustrated after they committed three errors.

“I was chatting with the umpire at third base the whole time, because I’m playing in a puddle of water,” said third baseman Miguel Rojas, who committed one of the errors. “I’m not saying that’s why I make an error or anything like that. Everybody can see it. That’s not the best conditions.

“I feel like sometimes, just to try to get the game in in five innings is not the right way to do it. We could’ve played it out later like we did.”

Said Roberts: “I think everyone was in agreement (that) we wanted to try to squeeze in five (innings), knowing the conditions weren’t going to be ideal.

“I just didn’t like in that fourth inning to stop the game right there once we had already faced a couple batters, and then obviously the field sort of became unplayable. It was tough.”

During the long rain delay, the crowd cheered when the women’s college basketball championship game between Iowa and South Carolina was shown on the videoboard.

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Trainer’s room

Cubs: RHP Julian Merryweather (right shoulder strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list. Palencia was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. … RHP Jameson Taillon (back strain) began a rehab assignment Sunday with Double-A Tennessee. … INF/OF Patrick Wisdom (back strain) played third base Saturday to begin a rehab stint with Iowa. He was the designated hitter Sunday.

Up next

Dodgers: LHP James Paxton (1-0, 0.00 ERA) is slated for Monday’s series opener at Minnesota. RHP Louie Varland (0-1, 6.75 ERA) will start for the Twins. Varland’s brother, Gus, was recalled by the Dodgers on Saturday.

Cubs: RHP Javier Assad (1-0, 0.00) is scheduled to pitch Monday at San Diego. Padres RHP Yu Darvish (0-1, 2.30 ERA) will face his former team.

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