CHICAGO — Shota Imanaga dominated the mound on Sunday, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 4-1 victory against the New York Yankees. The right-hander struck out Aaron Judge twice and pitched an impressive seven innings in his fourth start since returning from a strained left hamstring.
Imanaga improved his record to 6-3 after allowing just two hits throughout the game. While he surrendered a home run to Giancarlo Stanton in the second inning, he rebounded strong, fanning six batters and issuing one walk. Daniel Palencia closed the game, earning his 12th save and preserving a two-hit performance.
The Cubs’ offense showcased their power as Michael Busch and Dansby Swanson both hit home runs. With this win, the Cubs reached 57 victories for the season, their highest total since 2008, heading into the All-Star break.
Stanton’s 433rd career home run came as a highlight for the Yankees, who has now lost two consecutive games after a five-game winning streak. Notably, Judge struck out twice on Imanaga’s splitters, marking a stark contrast to the previous day when he celebrated his 350th career homer.
Cody Bellinger, celebrating his 30th birthday, went hitless, ending his career-high 17-game hitting streak. Just last December, he was traded from Chicago to New York.
The Cubs took an early lead when Busch homered on the second pitch he saw from Will Warren in his first career plate appearance as a leadoff hitter. Swanson’s two-run blast in the sixth gave the Cubs a noticeable edge, putting them up 3-1 over the Yankees.
In the seventh inning, Pete Crow-Armstrong added an insurance run with an infield single that scored Seiya Suzuki. The play was marked by a throwing error from shortstop Anthony Volpe, whose toss to first base bounced off the glove of first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.
Warren, who took the loss for the Yankees, pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and six hits. The pivotal moment came in the sixth when Carson Kelly opened with a double, setting the stage for Swanson’s tiebreaking homer.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Busch’s home run marked a significant achievement, making him the first Cubs player to hit a homer in his first career plate appearance while batting leadoff since Willson Contreras did so in 2017 against Washington.
Looking ahead, the Cubs will send right-hander Colin Rea (7-3, 3.91 ERA) to the mound on Friday for a three-game series against Boston at Wrigley Field. Meanwhile, the Yankees will travel to Atlanta to begin their own three-game series on Friday night.
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