In the preview to this game that I posted Friday afternoon, I wrote:
Personally, if I were making the decisions for the Cubs, I would not have Shōta Imanaga make this start.
Well. Couldn’t be happier to have been wrong about that. Imanaga had one of his best outings of the 2026 season, allowing just three hits and one run and NO home runs in six strong innings, and the Cubs defeated the Marlins 6-1. This was accomplished after the usually long-haired Japanese left-hander got a short haircut. Cause
and effect? Probably not, but whatever it takes, it’s very important for the Chicago Cubs to have good Shōta back. Hope he sticks around through October.
The Cubs scored first in this one. In the top of the second, Alex Bregman led off with a single, but got picked off. That was followed by singles by Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner, putting runners on first and third. Pedro Ramirez then hit into a force play, scoring Happ [VIDEO].
I’d probably be more unhappy with that pickoff if the Cubs hadn’t gone on to win the game rather easily.
Imanaga and Marlins starter Janson Junk matched zeroes for three more innings until the Cubs broke the game open in the sixth. Junk was replaced by Jack Ralston, who walked Pete Crow-Armstrong. PCA immediately took off for second and recorded his 33rd steal of the year. One out later, Michael Busch and Bregman walked to load the bases.
One more free pass, to Happ, scored PCA to make it 2-0 [VIDEO].
With the bases still loaded, Hoerner singled to make it 3-0 [VIDEO].
Ramirez followed with this sac fly and the Cubs led by four [VIDEO].
Imanaga set down the Marlins in order in the bottom of the sixth — but only because of this spectacular catch by PCA [VIDEO].
I don’t think any other center fielder in MLB makes that catch. PCA continues to do things every single day that amaze me. This freeze frame from the catch tells the story:
In the top of the seventh, he led off with a double, advanced to third on a fly ball and scored on a wild pitch that made it 5-0.
I thought Imanaga would be removed after six, but Craig Counsell let him stay in to face the left-handed hitting Griffin Conine, who singled. Then Imanaga was taken out after 94 pitches. Here’s more on Imanaga’s evening [VIDEO].
Aaron Civale replaced Imanaga and allowed a double that sent Conine to third, where he scored on a ground out to make it 5-1.
That’s where the game stayed until the top of the ninth, when Michael Busch homered, his 18th [VIDEO].
That ball was absolutely demolished [VIDEO].
It would be really good for Busch — and, of course, the team — if he could show that sort of power the rest of the way, and in the postseason. The Cubs could use the guy who hit 34 homers last year and four more in eight postseason games.
Civale finished up with three scoreless innings, earning his second save. Here’s the final out [VIDEO].
Civale, for his part, has been really good in relief since his acquisition July 18. In 12 appearances covering 26.1 innings for the Cubs: 1.37 ERA, 1.025 WHIP, 2.83 FIP, only one home run and a walk rate of just 7.3 percent. He could be a really valuable bullpen piece in the postseason. A note on Civale’s three-inning save from BCB’s JohnW53:
Aaron Civale’s save was the Cubs’ fifth this season of at least three innings. Javier Assad has two, one of four innings. Colin Rea and Jordan Wicks have the others.
The Cubs had five all of last season: one each by Ben Brown, Civale, Chris Flexen, Rea and Wicks.
Here are some postgame comments from Nico [VIDEO].
You can see that “freeze frame” Nico is talking about above. Fact from this game about Nico from John:
Nico Hoerner’s three-hit game was his 13th of the season with at least three, one ahead of Alex Bregman’s 12. Pete Crow-Armstrong has 11; Seiya Suzuki, 10; and eight others have two to seven.
Hoerner has had 66 games with three or more hits since he joined the Cubs in 2019. Ian Happ is a distant second, with 51. Suzuki has 43; Crow-Armstrong, 29; Dansby Swanson, 26; and Michael Busch, 25.
And here are postgame remarks from Counsell [VIDEO].
The Cubs moved back into the top wild card spot by half a game with this win and the Phillies loss Friday.
Javier Assad is going to return from exile Triple-A Iowa to start Saturday’s game against the Marlins. (I’m assuming Tyler Ferguson will be optioned to Iowa to make room on the active roster; we’ll find out for sure later today.) Ryan Gusto starts for Miami. Game time Saturday is 3:10 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
