The Cubs came from behind with a five-run eighth and won the series at Dodger Stadium, also helped out by some spectacular catches by Pete Crow-Armstrong.
This game was highly anticipated as the first MLB matchup between the top Japanese pitchers Shōta Imanaga and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, both of whom came over from Japan’s NPB last offseason.
Imanaga got touched up for three home runs — fortunately, all solo shots — and the Cubs trailed by two entering the eighth.
That’s when the Cubs put together one of those rallies on the road we’ve gotten accustomed to seeing, helped out by some sketchy Dodgers defense. A five-run eighth erased that deficit and Pete Crow-Armstrong made three highlight-reel catches, helping the Cubs to their third win in a row, 6-3 over LA. The victory also made the Cubs a .500 road team for the season at 37-37. They have won 10 of their last 11 road games.
The Cubs couldn’t do anything with Yamamoto in the first, but Imanaga pretty much matched him by getting the first three outs on just four pitches.
Then this happened [VIDEO].
Pete Crow-Armstrong’s grounder ate up Freddie Freeman. It was originally called an error on Freeman, but later PCA was given an RBI single. Paredes, who got a good break off second, scored to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead.
That lead didn’t last long. Tommy Edman, who used to drive Cubs pitchers crazy when he was with the Cardinals, homered leading off the bottom of the second.
In the third, Imanaga allowed some traffic on the bases with a couple of singles, but got some defensive help (and added some himself) when he got Shohei Ohtani to hit into this double play [VIDEO].
Edman did it again in the bottom of the fourth, his second solo homer of the game and 10th career homer against the Cubs, his most against any team.
PCA just missed catching that one [VIDEO].
After the fourth, Yamamoto was out of the game after 59 pitches, as his stated limit for this game was 60. But the Cubs couldn’t do anything with reliever Ryan Brasier in the fifth, save a one-out single by PCA.
Then the Dodgers smacked a third solo homer off Imanaga in the fifth, that one a no-doubter by Max Muncy.
The Cubs couldn’t do anything, either, with the second LA reliever, Blake Treinen, despite a one-out double by Seiya Suzuki. And the seventh-inning Dodgers pitcher, Alex Vesia, also held the Cubs scoreless, the only hit a one-out single by Hoerner.
In the seventh, Imanaga allowed Andy Pages to reach on what was called an error on Dansby Swanson (it probably should have been a hit) — and then picked Pages off [VIDEO].
And to end that inning, PCA made a fine running catch in right-center [VIDEO].
Vesia came back out to throw the eighth and issued a leadoff walk to Ian Happ. Dave Roberts replaced Vesia with Evan Phillips. Swanson then reached on a little dribbler that Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes threw wide of first base.
Then this happened [VIDEO].
Happ scored on Suzuki’s single to make it 3-2, and when the Dodgers relay throw went into the third-base dugout, Swanson also scored and the game was tied. Suzuki wound up on second. The Cubs challenged that positioning, saying Suzuki should have been placed on third, but the review crew kept him on second. Cody Bellinger was then intentionally passed.
Paredes was fooled by a sweeper and struck out, but then Busch hit what might have been an inning-ending double-play ball.
Instead, it was fumbled and the Cubs had the lead [VIDEO].
Nico Hoerner followed with this RBI double and it was 5-3 Cubs [VIDEO].
Bellinger scored, with Busch holding at third, on Nico’s third hit of the game. PCA batted next, and grounded to first with Busch scoring to make it 6-3 [VIDEO].
Because of all the Dodger errors, four of the five runs in the inning were unearned — of course, they count just the same.
Nate Pearson relieved Imanaga in the eighth and got some good defense from his outfielders. Ian Happ made a nice running snag to begin the inning [VIDEO].
Then PCA showed off again with a second sliding catch on a ball hit by Ohtani [VIDEO].
Mookie Betts then singled, but Pearson got Freddie Freeman to ground to third to end the inning. Pearson has now allowed just one run in his last eight appearances, covering 13 innings.
In the ninth, the Cubs put a couple of runners on base but could not score, so the game went to Porter Hodge for the save opportunity.
With two out and a runner on third, Hodge appeared to fall ill with a 2-1 count on Muncy [VIDEO].
He stayed in the game and then this happened [VIDEO].
PCA stole a home run from Muncy with his third great catch of the evening and the Cubs had a nicely-played win. Here’s PCA talking about the catch [VIDEO].
After the game, Craig Counsell updated reporters on Hodge:
About the home runs off Imanaga, we all knew he was somewhat susceptible to the home run when the Cubs signed him. And at least all the Dodgers homers in this game were with the bases empty. The three homers Imanaga served up in this game made his season total 26, which is tied for fifth-most in MLB. Of the 26, 15 have been with the bases empty and six others with one man on.
And fortunately, the late Cubs rally meant all’s well that ended well, and overall, Imanaga didn’t have a bad outing. The homers were the only runs he allowed, three runs in seven innings, four strikeouts, no walks.
The Cubs go for an improbable series sweep Wednesday evening at Dodger Stadium. Jordan Wicks will start for the Cubs and Bobby Miller gets the call for the Dodgers. Game time is again 9:10 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
