The Chicago Cubs now hold a 27-16 record following their fourth straight loss on Wednesday night. The club managed just four singles in a frustrating 4-1 defeat at the hands of the MLB-leading Atlanta Braves.
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The Cubs lost 4-1 at Truist Park. The offense struggled to provide support. They scored their only run on a Nico Hoerner single in the fifth. Shota Imanaga delivered a stellar start. He pitched seven innings and allowed two earned runs and five hits. He struck out six on 96 pitches. Phil Maton then surrendered a go-ahead pinch-hit double and a two-run homer in the eighth. This late-inning collapse was the game’s turning point. The Cubs entered the frame tied 1-1. They had several impressive defensive plays earlier in the contest. The last two games highlighted the Braves’ elite backend of the Bullpen. Meanwhile, the Cubs are currently missing key components.
Shota Imanaga was the hard-luck loser. He had an incredibly efficient outing. He shut down one of baseball’s best offenses for seven innings (7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K). Imanaga threw 96 pitches, and 64 of them were strikes. He effectively utilized a “sweeper” and a fastball. This kept hitters off-balance until an infield single leading off the eighth ended his night. Manager Craig Counsell described the performance as “awesome” and “wonderful,” lowering Imanaga’s season ERA to a sharp 2.32.
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