The rotation depth the Chicago Cubs pointed to in spring training was put to the test in the first 21⁄2 months of the season. Now the Cubs are back to where they started, and the five starters who were supposed to lead them into the postseason are tasked with pulling them out of the wreckage of a disappointing first half. Barring a change in plans, Kyle Hendricks will return to a starting role this week because of injuries to rookies Ben Brown and Jordan Wicks the last few days.
Shota Imanaga, Javier Assad, Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon all have done their jobs, and now the Cubs are counting on Hendricks With an offense that hasn’t fully functioned and a bullpen that already has blown 15 save opportunities, it’s up to the rotation to carry the load to save the season. As usual, Saturday, throwing seven dominant innings in a 5-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals before 40,088 at Wrigley Field.
Imanaga allowed one run on four hits with no walks and six strikeouts while throwing a career-high 103 pitches. He ended his day with a flourish, making Brendan Donovan flail away at a sweeper to end the seventh with two men on and a one-run lead. Imanaga then pumped his left fist, twirled off the mound with his right leg in the air like Jackie Gleason doing his “And away we go!” routine, then added another fist pump while shouting to no one in particular.
He said afterward that he was hungry and thinking during the crucial matchup about what kind of food he was going to eat.
