This story was originally published by Dead Spin
As Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga walked into Wrigley Field on Friday, he bought an extra cup of coffee that he eventually gave to a fan.
Imanaga hopes his teammates will give him some run support in a Tuesday home game against the Minnesota Twins.
The Cubs hope to perk up at the plate after striking out 14 times and managing only four hits in a 3-0 loss to Minnesota in the series opener on Monday.
“We chased more than we normally chase,” Chicago manager Craig Counsell said. “Down (below the zone), specifically … it’s something we generally don’t do.”
The loss was particularly frustrating for the Cubs amid their flagging quest to surge into a playoff position.
Chicago had just won three of four over the rival St. Louis Cardinals, a crucial series victory that hinted at a possible spark for a middling team that was expected to compete for a division title.
Instead, the Cubs were shut out for the 11th time this season, and they enter Tuesday six games out of the National League’s final wild-card spot.
However, Chicago has thrived when Imanaga (8-2, 3.09 ERA) has toed the rubber.
The Cubs are 16-4 when the 30-year-old rookie has started, and they won each of his past four outings, including a 5-4 walk-off victory over the Cardinals on Thursday.
Imanaga pushed through 6 2/3 innings against St. Louis, yielding only four runs despite allowing 10 hits — the second most he has surrendered this season — and two home runs.
He has never faced the Twins, who have won five straight games to pull within 3 1/2 games of the first-place Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central.
Minnesota should receive a boost against Imanaga on Tuesday, as center fielder Byron Buxton is expected to return to the lineup after missing the Monday game.
Buxton, who has a 1.087 OPS since the start of July, exited the Twins’ 13-7 home win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday after crashing into the outfield wall during the sixth inning.
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said that Buxton’s absence Monday was pre-planned — Buxton typically plays two or three games at a time before being held out of the starting lineup.
“He’s really taking advantage of these recovery days in a good way, and it’s keeping him going,” Baldelli said on Monday. “It’s keeping him productive and feeling good.
“He’s been playing great. We want to keep him feeling this way, and this is the way to do it.”
Chicago is also expected to have a hot-hitting outfielder return on Tuesday. Right fielder Seiya Suzuki posted a 1.020 OPS over a 21-game stretch before neck stiffness sidelined him on Monday.
If he plays, Suzuki will join a lineup looking to rebound against Minnesota right-hander Pablo Lopez (10-7, 4.65 ERA), who has delivered three straight quality starts.
Lopez last pitched on Wednesday, when he limited the New York Mets to two runs over six innings in Minnesota’s 8-3 road win.
The seventh-year veteran is 1-2 with a 2.66 ERA in four career starts against the Cubs, all coming with the Miami Marlins from 2019-22.
Dansby Swanson has faced Lopez more than any other Chicago hitter, though the Cubs’ shortstop is just 3-for-22 (.136) against him with a home run and eight strikeouts.
–Field Level Media
