Shōta Imanaga Will Start Home Opener On Friday
Shōta Imanaga had the privilege of taking the mound on Opening Day in Tokyo, starting the Cubs’ season against the Los Angeles Dodgers. With this honor comes a lot of pressure, but it’s nothing he hasn’t dealt with before. He’s scheduled to pitch in the home opener on Friday against the Padres, marking his third start of the season.
Imanaga also started the home opener in 2024, facing the Colorado Rockies in his first start at Wrigley Field. The southpaw tossed 6.0 innings of scoreless baseball, even carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He struck out nine, not allowing any walks on 92 pitches.
Shōta Imanaga was LIGHTS OUT in his MLB Debut 🤩
6 IP | 2 H | 0 ER | 0 BB | 9 K
(📸: @WatchMarquee) pic.twitter.com/OgcCmT00mF
— Cubs Zone (@CubsZone) April 1, 2024
In two starts this season, Imanaga has a 0.82 ERA with 6 strikeouts in 11 innings. He’ll face one of the best lineups in baseball, with the Padres entering play at 7-0.
“Every time Shōta Imanaga takes the mound, I feel so good that the Cubs have a chance to win”@blakecowellx says Imanaga is proving himself to be one of the best pitchers in the National League pic.twitter.com/HG8BtCYTuB
— Cubs Insider (@realcubsinsider) April 2, 2025
