CHICAGO (AP) — The road for Shota Imanaga from Japan to the major leagues included at least one sharp observation that has served him well in his transition to life with the Chicago Cubs. “Watching foreign players in Japan and how they try to figure out how to get support from the fans, essentially I’m just doing the opposite of that, coming over here,” Imanaga said through a translator. “It was something I thought about.” From his entertaining pitching style to his trips to Dunkin’ Donuts — “Either I order a small iced latte or a medium,” he said — Imanaga has moved with a purpose in his acclimation to the big leagues. And he is making it look easy at the moment. Relying on a deceptive four-seam fastball that he usually locates at the top of the strike zone, along with a splitter that plays at the bottom, Imanaga is 5-0 with a 0.84 ERA for the contending Cubs. The left-hander also has 58 strikeouts and nine walks in 53 2/3 innings — thrusting himself into the early conversation for NL Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award. |
Takeaways from the Supreme Court's latest abortion caseAaron Judge homers 1 pitch after Joe Boyle is called for a balk as Yanks top A's 7Santiago Espinal has 3 RBIs, Fernando Cruz pitches out of another jam and Reds beat Phillies 7DPRK top leader guides simulated nuclear counterattack drillHow do private enterprises tackle challenges with innovation?Contreras has 3 hits as Brewers take advantage of sloppy inning by Pirates in 3I flew from Scotland to Denmark for 24 hours for a family trip to LegolandZendaya dazzles on Variety cover with her Challengers coHamas releases video showing wellInside A Place In The Sun presenter Danni Menzies' luxurious holiday in the Cayman Islands