‘I ruined the game,’ says Cubs starter Shota Imanaga after 7-3 loss in Game 2 of NLDS
Sports Tuesday, October 7, 2025 | | |
| | | | | Good morning, Chicago. Shota Imanaga stared in disbelief, watching how one swing shifted the momentum.
"Too many home run balls" has been the theme of Imanaga's pitching performance over the last three months. Even working with a three-run lead before he threw a pitch Monday didn't change the concerning trend. Another doomed first-inning sequence, this time in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, might haunt the Cubs and their dreams of a deep postseason run. Imanaga's inability to toss a zero in the opening frame doused another electric start for the Cubs. Seiya Suzuki's three-run home run in the top of the first against Brewers
lefty reliever Aaron Ashby quieted 42,787 fans. Suzuki's 440-foot, 111.7 mph rocket to left field was reminiscent of Michael Busch's leadoff home run in Game 1 on Saturday that gave the Cubs early momentum. And yet the starting pitching again let down the Cubs in a 7-3 loss that sends them back to Wrigley Field for Game 3 at 4:08 p.m. on Wednesday — on the brink of elimination. Stay connected with us all day: Sign up for our newsletters to get the latest news in your inbox. And you can follow us on social media: X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Threads. Not a Tribune subscriber? Here's our latest offer. | | | | The much-anticipated National League Division Series battle between managers Craig Counsell and Pat Murphy has been one-sided so far. | | | | | Before the Chicago Blackhawks’ 100th season starts in Florida, here are some of the biggest questions facing the team. | | | | | The Chicago Bears’ bye week is a great time to take stock in what we’ve seen so far — and what we might expect the remainder of the season. | | | | | Left-hander Shota Imanaga’s inability to toss a zero in the opening frame doused another electric start for the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS. | | | | | Andrew Vaughn’s 3-run home run — with two outs in the first — shifted the momentum back to the Milwaukee Brewers after the Chicago Cubs’ quick start in Game 2. | | | | | Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis wants to separate from the promising hopefuls and establish himself as a legitimate NBA star of the future. | | | |
