CHICAGO (AP) — The road for Shota Imanaga from Japan to the major leagues included at least one sharp observation that has served him well in his transition to life with the Chicago Cubs.
“Watching foreign players in Japan and how they try to figure out how to get support from the fans, essentially I’m just doing the opposite of that, coming over here,” Imanaga said through a translator. “It was something I thought about.”
From his entertaining pitching style to his trips to Dunkin’ Donuts — “Either I order a small iced latte or a medium,” he said — Imanaga has moved with a purpose in his acclimation to the big leagues. And he is making it look easy at the moment.
Relying on a deceptive four-seam fastball that he usually locates at the top of the strike zone, along with a splitter that plays at the bottom, Imanaga is 5-0 with a 0.84 ERA for the contending Cubs. The left-hander also has 58 strikeouts and nine walks in 53 2/3 innings — thrusting himself into the early conversation for NL Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award.
A warrant for Netanyahu’s arrest was requested. But no decision was made about whether to issue it
Black sailor killed at Pearl Harbor FINALLY identified more than eight decades after 19
Pereira retains light heavyweight title with 1st
Xiangjiang New Area of China's Hunan actively cultivates new quality productive forces
Why US Catholics are planning pilgrimages in communities across the nation
China's development brings new opportunities for global growth
Panel discussions held during BFA Annual Conference 2024
China's Xiaomi releases its first self
Candice Swanepoel stuns in a form
Sydney mall stabbing: Officer, bystanders hailed for confronting and stopping attacker
Adams, Reyna, Turner, Ream are US concerns ahead of Copa America
The astonishing effect of stem cell implants