Shota Imanaga had a standout performance against Corbin Burnes as the Chicago Cubs secured a 4-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Imanaga, with a record of 8-2, allowed six hits in six innings, striking out six batters. Notably, the Orioles struggled to capitalize with runners in scoring position against him, going 0 for 9.

Imanaga, a Cubs rookie, earned a spot in the All-Star Game, becoming the first Cubs rookie since Kris Bryant in 2015 and the first Japanese-born Cub since Kosuke Fukudome in 2018. On the other side, Burnes (9-4) allowed three runs and nine hits in six innings, with no walks and five strikeouts. He will be making his fourth All-Star Game appearance next week.

With a 3-10-1 road series record, the Cubs are now in a position to potentially sweep the AL East-leading Orioles in their three-game series. Christopher Morel kicked off the scoring with a solo homer in the second inning, putting the Cubs ahead 1-0. Following this, the Cubs added runs through key hits from Nico Hoerner, Michael Busch, and Seiya Suzuki.

Despite a rain delay, the Cubs’ pitching remained solid, with Luke Little and Porter Hodge making crucial outs in the later innings. Looking ahead, Justin Steele (1-3, 2.95 ERA) will start for the Cubs, following his impressive complete game performance in his last outing. Baltimore will have Albert Suárez (5-2, 2.48) on the mound for the next game.