Former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell explained his decision to take out Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga amid a no-hit bid during Wednesday night’s game at Wrigley Field against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Imanaga was replaced on the mound after he pitched seven scoreless and hitless innings, He allowed just a pair of walks and struck out seven Pirates hitters on 95 pitches.
Former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell sounds off on Shota Imanaga
Counsell said after the game that the decision was all about “ taking care of Shota and making sure we’re doing the right thing for him,” per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).
“It’s not fun to do, but when you’re prioritizing the player’s health and you don’t know what’s going to happen moving forward, we want him to stay healthy,” added Counsell, who is in his first season of managing the Cubs after a long stint with the Brewers.
The Cubs completed the combined no-hitter, with Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge taking care of business on the mound after Imanaga left.
Chicago’s no-hitter against the Pirates was the club’s first at Wrigley Field since 1972. The Cubs’ most recent no-hitter prior to Wednesday took place in 2021 at Dodger Stadium, which was also another combined effort by Chicago’s pitching staff, with, Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin and Craig Kimbrel combining forces to make history.
The Cubs improved to 72-68 after the win. They are second in the National League Central division, trailing the slumping Brewers by nine games. The 81-59 Milwaukee side has lost three of its last four games and both of its last two.
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