WATCH: Craig Counsell on Imanaga's "excellent" outing, discusses Roki Sasaki |
Tony Crumpton
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- Tuesday, March 18 2025
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell spoke to the media following the Cubs' 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers evaluating Shota Imanaga's outing in Tokyo, any specific strategy to face Roki Sasaki in the second game on Wednesday and more.
“Getting to 70 was about the pitch number,” Counsell said. “That was kind of the number we had for Shota, and as he finished that [fourth] inning, it was the right time to take him out.” Counsell was also worried about how much extra energy that Imanaga would be using back in Japan. “He also, I think you have to understand the energy that you use just in an environment like this,” Counsell said. “I think we saw that certainly from both guys.” Watch the post-game press conference below:
Video summary/cliff-notes:
(00:00) Craig Counsell praised Shota Imanaga's pitching, noting he didn't allow any runs and induced weak contact. Despite a few walks, Imanaga managed the game well.
(01:18) The coaching staff had planned for Imanaga to pitch around 70 pitches, making his removal after four innings a strategic decision.
(02:27) Counsell acknowledged the opposing bullpen's strong performance, which prevented the Cubs from mounting a comeback.
(03:38) Looking ahead, the Cubs plan to attack early in the next game to avoid letting the opposing pitcher settle in.
(05:00) Counsell noted a key mistake—allowing a walk before Shohei Ohtani—which put them in a difficult position against a dangerous lineup.
(06:16) Defensive errors contributed to the outcome, with one directly leading to a run and another extending an inning unnecessarily.
(07:19) The Cubs struggled against high-quality split-finger fastballs from the opposing pitcher, making it difficult to generate offense.
