Imanaga Shuts Down Pirates (Again) But Offense Rallies for Win Over Cubs

avatar   |  
Apr 10, 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates, Bryan Reynolds
Pittsburgh Pirates' Bryan Reynolds warms up before a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Thursday, June 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Shota Imanaga threw six no-hit innings, but the Pittsburgh Pirates struck against the Chicago Cubs bullpen for a 2-0 win at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon. 

Scoring Plays

Top 7th, 2-0 PIT: After being no-hit through the first six innings of the game, Ryan O’Hearn led off the seventh with a single off Caleb Thielbar (1-1) . One batter later, Bryan Reynolds belted a two-run home run to left field, his third of the season.

Key Moment

The Cubs (6-7) loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth. Alex Bregman and Ian Happ both singled off Carmen Mlodzinski, who then struck out Seiya Suzuki. Mason Montgomery (1-0) relieved Mlodzinski, struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong, walked Carson Kelly and punched out pinch-hitter Matt Shaw to end the inning.

Player of the Game

Shota Imanaga tossed six no-hit innings and struck out nine. In five career starts against the Pirates (8-5), Imanaga has a 0.28 ERA (1er/32ip) and a .118 batting average against (13 for 110).

Stat to Know

Carmen Mlodzinski has not allowed a home run over his last 61 innings. That’s the longest active streak among all Major League pitchers. The last home run he allowed was last season on July 6 against the Seattle Mariners (Randy Arozarena). 

Notable Performances

  • Carmen Mlodzinski: 5.1 innings, six hits, no runs, three walks, two strikeouts, 81 pitches/48 strikes
  • Bryan Reynolds: 1 for 4, one home run, two RBI, one run

Noteworthy

  • Oneil Cruz extended his hitting streak to nine games with a single up the middle in the seventh inning. Entering play, Cruz was tied with Freddie Freeman (Dodgers) and Juan Soto (Mets for the longest active streak in MLB.
  • Carmen Mlodzinski has a 1.38 ERA (4er/26ip) in 10 career appearances (three starts) against the Cubs.
  • Mason Montgomery earned his first win with the Pirates and the second of his career. His first win came last season on June 18 while with the Tampa Bay Rays. Dennis Santana notched his first save of the season.

Up Next

RHP Braxton Ashcraft (1-1, 2.25 ERA) will start for the Pirates in the second game of the series on Saturday afternoon. RHP Edward Cabrera (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will be on the mound for the Cubs. First pitch: 2:20 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh/93.7 The Fan.

Mentioned in this article:

More about:

0What do you think?Post a comment.