Controversial Decision Clouds Cubs Combined No-Hitter

The Chicago Cubs pitched a combined no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates as lefty Shōta Imanaga and a pair of relievers blanked their division foes in the first no-no at Wrigley Field by the Cubs since 1972. The Cubs salvaged the final game of the three-game series, crushing the Pirates 12-0 Wednesday night in Chicago.

Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge followed Imanaga’e seven no-hit innings as they each pitched a scoreless inning in relief to finish off the team’s 18th no-hitter in franchise history.

As you might recall, the last no-hitter by a Cubs pitching staff came on June 24, 2021, when Zach Davies, Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin and Craig Kimbrel combined to keep the Los Angeles Dodgers hitless.

Milt Pappas was the last Cubs pitcher to throw a no-hitter by himself at Wrigley Field, doing it against the San Diego Padres on Sept. 2, 1972.

Here’s the controversial decision that some Cubs fans are still thinking about and that’s Craig Counsell taking out Imanaga after seven innings of work. The left-hander had completed the seventh inning, retiring the side in order on 11 pitches, reaching 95 pitches on the night.

Besides a pair of walks in the second, Imanaga was rolling against the Pirates and the only other time he had traffic on the bases came because of three errors from third baseman Isaac Paredes. One happened in the first inning that was quickly erased by a double play and then two occurred in the sixth inning that added another six pitches to Imanaga’s total.

So, at 95 pitches after seven innings, should the Cubs have given their star rookie pitcher a chance to at least begin the eighth inning and see if he could take it all the way or was the team right in pulling Imanaga in the blowout and not risking his health down the road?

Imanaga’s season high in pitches thrown in a game is 103, and he’s only reached or eclipsed the 100-pitch mark three total times in his first year in MLB.

Regardless of the decision, it doesn’t take away from the fact that Imanaga has been incredible in his first season with the Cubs. Truly one of the best free agent signings by the team since that last World Series squad nearly a decade ago.