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. |
With 'functional' beverages, brands push drinks that do more than taste goodUS CPI accelerates to 3.5% in MarchBillionaire Elon Musk is mercilessly mocked over his 'embarrassing' red carpet posesCedric Mullins shines with his glove and bat as the Orioles down the Twins 7Hayao Miyazaki's animated fantasy stays atop Chinese box officeVeterans' fury as millionaire New Labour power couple lodge plans to build 'oppressive' 20German chancellor arrives in SW ChinaMasseur, 47, 'rapes British pensioner, 71, after massaging her' in PortugalXi meets Merieux Foundation president and his wifeLorenzen goes 5 innings in Texas debut as Rangers blank Tigers 1