WATCH: Craig Counsell on Imanaga's "excellent" outing, discusses Roki Sasaki |
Tony Crumpton
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- 1 day ago
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.
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.
