ST. LOUIS — The Chicago Cubs delivered a clinical performance at Busch Stadium on Wednesday afternoon, blanking the St. Louis Cardinals 3–0 behind the dominant return of left-hander Shōta Imanaga. The win secured a series split and reaffirmed the strength of the Cubs’ rotation despite recent injury setbacks.
Imanaga, making his first start since June 9 due to a hamstring issue, wasted no time returning to form. He tossed five innings of one-hit ball, striking out three and walking none. The Cardinals never advanced a runner past first base during his outing.
“It felt good to be back on the mound,” Imanaga said through an interpreter. “I was focused on throwing strikes and trusting my defense.”
The Cubs’ bullpen did its part with four innings of lockdown relief. Caleb Thielbar, Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz, and Daniel Palencia combined to allow just two hits while preserving the shutout. Palencia, in particular, earned his eighth save of the season with a clean ninth.
Offensively, the Cubs struck early. Rookie Michael Busch opened the scoring with a solo home run in the second inning — his sixth of the season. In the fifth, Ian Happ coaxed a bases-loaded walk to bring in another run, and Pete Crow-Armstrong showcased heads-up baserunning by scoring on a fielding miscue.
“It’s the kind of win that shows what this team can do when we’re healthy and locked in,” said Cubs manager Craig Counsell. “Shōta set the tone, and the bullpen backed him up. That’s exactly how you want to draw it up.”
For the Cardinals, it was a day to forget. Starter Andre Pallante lasted just four innings, surrendering two earned runs and walking four. The Cardinals’ offense managed just three hits all game and failed to mount any serious threats.
The loss drops St. Louis further in the standings, while the Cubs — now 39–40 — continue to chase momentum as the season approaches its midpoint. With Imanaga healthy again, Chicago may finally be poised to make the kind of push fans have been waiting for.
The Cubs will head back to Wrigley Field for a weekend series, while the Cardinals look to regroup before facing another divisional opponent.