How did the Chicago Cubs’ Shota Imanaga not know he had pitched a no-hitter?

One has to admit, that the idea of the Chicago Cubs starting pitcher doing what he did on Wednesday and not knowing that he did what he did is funny. To that end, one has to wonder whether things would have gone differently had he been conscious of his achievement.

Cubs’ Craig Counsell had to inform Shota Imanaga about his no-hitter

If you caught Wednesday night’s game between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field in Chicago, the word you would likely use to describe the hosts’ performance is ‘dominant.’ Indeed, the home team emerged with an impressive 12-0 win, and better still, it was a no-hitter marking the first time the Cubs had achieved such a feat at Wrigley Field since 1972.

At the center of it all was Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga, who threw seven no-hit innings during the victory with an overall total of 95 pitches. The Japanese star was eventually replaced, with the bullpen combining to finish the job for a combined no-hitter and that’s where things get a little strange. Speaking postgame through an interpreter, the 31-year-old admitted that he was so focused on the game that he didn’t even realize what he had achieved in those seven innings until manager Craig Counsell informed him after telling him he was going to be replaced.

“So after I finished the seventh inning, I went seven, no earned runs,” Imanaga said. “So Craig came to talk to me. Usually, he looks at me and tells me ‘Good job.’ But he looked a little worried. ...And so I was figuring out what was going on and that’s when I learned.” Counsell himself seemed to give a similar sentiment. “He actually didn’t know he had a no-hitter going at all, which is funny,” Counsell said. Regarding what came next, it was Cubs relievers Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge who each pitched hitless innings in the eighth and ninth respectively to finish off the combined no-hitter. Impressive, to say the least. Understandably, it was a difficult decision taken by Counsell, but he was quick to acknowledge that it was one taken with Imanaga’s “health” in mind, a top priority for the team.

“It’s always hard to do in that situation,” Counsell said. “But you’re taking care of Shota. That’s 100% about taking care of Shota and making sure we’re doing the right thing for him. ...It’s not fun to do, but when you’re prioritizing the player’s health and you don’t know what’s going to happen moving forward, we want him to stay healthy.” As is his way, Imanaga was quick to state that he both understood and trusted Counsell’s choice. When considering the 12-3 record that he’s notched in his first season in Chicago, it’s not hard to understand why the Cubs are taking care of their man on the mound. That’s before we touch on his more than excellent 2.99 ERA and 155 strikeouts in 153 1/3 innings. Where the Cubs themselves are concerned, the team now sits on a record of 72-68 and is just 4.5 off of the third Wild Card spot in the National League. It goes without saying the Imanaga will be key if they are to clinch a playoff spot.