Cubs Shut Out Cardinals as Imanaga Returns to Form

Shota Imanaga wasted no time shaking off the rust, tossing five innings of one-hit baseball as the Chicago Cubs blanked the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 on Thursday to earn a split in their four-game series.

Imanaga struck out five and walked just one in his first start since returning from a hamstring strain, showing pinpoint control and vintage form. The Cubs’ bullpen followed suit, combining to allow only two more hits as Chicago notched back-to-back shutouts for the first time this season.

Michael Busch powered the offense, launching a solo homer in the second and scoring twice. The Cubs tacked on insurance in the fourth and eighth innings, with a bases-loaded walk to Ian Happ and a heads-up run by Pete Crow-Armstrong while Swanson was caught stealing.

St. Louis struggled at the plate, logging just three hits and failing to capitalize on a key defensive gem in the first inning that briefly kept momentum in their corner. With the loss, the Cardinals have now dropped consecutive games without scoring a run, a rarity for one of the NL’s more consistent lineups.