Who Cubs’ Shota Imanaga shouted out after dominating Diamondbacks

The Chicago Cubs earned their 21st win of the season after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-0 on Saturday. It was a brilliant outing for Shota Imanaga, as he dominated his opponent on the mound. After the contest, the 32-year-old left-hander gave his team a shoutout, helping him with his strong performance.

During the postgame press conference, Imanaga gave the Cubs’ defense credit for playing so well so far this season, according to Marquee Sports Network. He claimed that any time a ball gets hit, he feels confident it will result in an out.

“I’m always pitching out there knowing that if there’s a ball hit behind me, it’s gonna be an out,” said Imanaga’s translator. “You look at the players we have, and obviously, everybody has defense, but they’re, on top of the defense, have great positioning as well. So, every time I’m up there, [the offense] hits the ball, knowing that there is a chance for that to be an out. I think that’s very reassuring.”

“I’m always pitching out there knowing that if there’s a ball hit behind me, it’s gonna be an out”

Shota shouts out the elite defense pic.twitter.com/5FwNLfpfYK

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) May 2, 2026

The third-year veteran ended the day against the Diamondbacks, recording five strikeouts while allowing just four hits, one walk, and zero earned runs through 7.0 innings pitched. Overall, Shota Imanaga is on pace for a career year, as he owns a 2.88 ERA and 0.874 WHIP with 38 strikeouts in six starts.

Imanaga’s next start is slated for either Thursday, May 7, against the Cincinnati Reds, or Friday, May 8, against the Texas Rangers. In the meantime, the Cubs will aim to extend their win streak to five on Sunday when they take on the Diamondbacks for the final time in the three-game series.

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