Imanaga, 2 relievers combine for no-hitter in 12-0 romp over Pirates

Shota Imanaga wasn’t disappointed when he was removed after seven hitless innings and 95 pitches.

“He actually didn’t know he had a no-hitter going at all, which is funny,” Chicago Cubs manager Counsell said.

Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge each followed with a perfect inning to finish a 12-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night, the Cubs’ first no-hitter at Wrigley Field since 1972.

Imanaga (12-3) struck out seven and walked two, throwing 66 pitches for strikes.

Nico Hoerner, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Swanson each had three of Chicago’s 17 hits, with Swanson and Crow-Armstrong both finishing a triple shy of the cycle.

A 31-year-old left-hander in his first season with the Cubs after pitching in Japan for eight seasons, Imanaga has not gotten an out in the eighth inning this season and has thrown a high of 103 pitches.

Chicago’s previous no-hitter was by Zach Davies, Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin and Craig Kimbrel at Dodger Stadium on June 24, 2021. Chicago had not pitched a no-hitter at Wrigley Field since Milt Pappas against San Diego on Sept. 2, 1972 — Pappas was one pitch from a perfect game when Bruce Froemming called ball four on a full-count pitch to Larry Stahl. Garry Jestadt then popped out.

Chicago ended a streak of 4,147 regular and postseason games at Wrigley Field without a no-hitter, the second-longest for a team in a single ballpark behind Pittsburgh, according to Opta. The Pirates never had a no-hitter in 4,773 games at Forbes Field from 1909-70.

This was the fourth no-hitter this season after complete-game efforts by Houston’s Ronel Blanco against Toronto on April 1, San Francisco’s Blake Snell at Cincinnati on April 2 and San Diego’s Dylan Cease at Washington on July 25.



(AP Photo Charles Rex Arbogast)