Baseball

Shota Imanaga Outpitches Corbin Burnes to Carry Cubs Past Orioles 4-0

AP Photos/Nick Wass
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Wednesday, July 10, 2024, in Baltimore.

11:11 JST, July 11, 2024

BALTIMORE (AP) — Shota Imanaga outdueled Corbin Burnes in a matchup of All-Star pitchers, and Christopher Morel homered to help the Chicago Cubs beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-0 on Wednesday night.

AP Photos/Nick Wass
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Wednesday, July 10, 2024, in Baltimore.

Imanaga (8-2) allowed six hits over six innings, striking out six with one walk. The Orioles went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position against the left-hander.

Imanaga is the first Cubs rookie to be selected to play in the All-Star Game since Kris Bryant in 2015 and the first Japanese-born Cub to make the team since Kosuke Fukudome in 2018.

Burnes (9-4) gave up three runs and nine hits over six innings, walking none and striking out five. Next week he will be heading to Texas for his fourth All-Star Game, the first with Baltimore.

The Cubs, who came to town with a 3-10-1 record in road series, now are in position to complete a three-game sweep of the AL East-leading Orioles on Thursday night.

Morel put Chicago up 1-0 with his 16th homer of the season in the second inning. The next two batters singled before Nico Hoerner delivered an RBI single.

Michael Busch doubled and scored on a single by Seiya Suzuki in the fifth for a 3-0 lead.

Baltimore put runners on second and third with one out in the sixth before Imanaga completed his impressive outing by striking out Austin Hays and Jorge Mateo.

After a 19-minute rain delay in the bottom of the seventh, Luke Little struck out Adley Rutschman with two runners on and Porter Hodge retired Ryan Mountcastle, who had a three-hit game.