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    Cubs-Padres Game Two Thread: Imanaga's Opener Is A Necessary Evil

    The Padres face the prospect of elimination if they can't win today at Wrigley Field.
    Brandon Glick

    By Brandon Glick

    Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images

    Cubs Video

    Chicago will treat today as a tandem day on the mound: Andrew Kittredge will open, then Shota Imanaga will follow with a bulk outing. Kittredge worked a clean eighth yesterday. This season, he has held right-handed hitters to a .690 OPS and left-handed hitters to a .541 OPS while his season FIP sits at 3.40. Over his last six starts, Imanaga has a 5.97 ERA with 12 home runs allowed in 34 2/3 innings, and he has allowed 31 homers in 144 2/3 frames this year. 

    Imanaga Against Padres Hitters

    Shota Imanaga vs. San Diego Padres: Current Batters Table
    Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP
    1 Luis Arráez L 10 9 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .111 .200 .111 .311 0 0 0 0 0
    2 Xander Bogaerts R 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0
    3 Manny Machado R 9 9 1 0 0 1 1 0 6 .111 .111 .444 .556 0 0 0 0 0
    4 Fernando Tatis Jr. R 9 8 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 .375 .444 .375 .819 0 0 0 0 0
    5 Jake Cronenworth L 6 6 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 .333 .333 .500 .833 0 0 0 0 0
    6 Martín Maldonado R 6 5 1 0 0 1 1 1 2 .200 .333 .800 1.133 0 0 0 0 1
    7 Jose Iglesias R 4 4 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 .750 .750 1.000 1.750 0 0 0 0 0
    8 Jackson Merrill L 3 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 .333 .333 .667 1.000 0 0 0 0 0
    9 Freddy Fermin R 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .500 .000 .500 0 0 0 1 0
    10 Gavin Sheets L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0
    Provided by Stathead.com: Found with Stathead. See Full Results.
    Generated 10/1/2025.

    Dylan Cease draws a conventional start for San Diego. His overall season included ups and downs, but his September trend was upward: in five starts last month, he recorded a 3.12 ERA with a 2.56 FIP.

    Cease Against Cubs Hitters

    Dylan Cease vs. Chicago Cubs: Current Batters Table
    Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP
    1 Ian Happ B 24 21 1 0 0 0 0 3 10 .048 .167 .048 .214 0 0 0 0 1
    2 Willi Castro B 23 23 5 0 0 1 2 0 8 .217 .217 .348 .565 0 0 0 0 0
    3 Kyle Tucker L 14 12 4 1 0 0 1 2 3 .333 .429 .417 .845 0 0 1 0 0
    4 Nico Hoerner R 13 9 2 1 0 0 0 3 2 .222 .462 .333 .795 0 0 1 1 0
    5 Michael Busch L 9 8 2 0 0 2 4 1 4 .250 .333 1.000 1.333 0 0 0 0 0
    6 Justin Turner R 8 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 .125 .125 .125 .250 0 0 0 0 0
    7 Pete Crow-Armstrong L 5 4 2 1 0 0 1 1 1 .500 .600 .750 1.350 0 0 0 0 0
    8 Dansby Swanson R 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0
    9 Reese McGuire L 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0
    10 Seiya Suzuki R 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0
    11 Matt Shaw R 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .500 .500 .500 1.000 0 0 0 0 0
    Provided by Stathead.com: Found with Stathead. See Full Results.
    Generated 10/1/2025.

    Bullpen usage from yesterday shapes how both sides can deploy relief behind today’s starters. For Chicago, Matthew Boyd covered 4 1/3 innings before the bullpen recorded a postseason-record stretch by retiring 14 consecutive batters without a baserunner. Daniel Palencia handled 1 2/3 innings, followed by one inning each from Drew Pomeranz, Kittredge, and Brad Keller. 

    San Diego used four relievers behind Nick Pivetta’s five innings. Mason Miller pitched the 7th inning. Adrian Morejon covered one inning. Jeremiah Estrada worked 2/3 of an inning, and Wandy Peralta recorded the final 1/3 of the 8th. That usage left the Padres’ late-inning group relatively fresh for today, with Cease on a standard starter’s workload. 

    Matchup-wise, Kittredge’s opening inning will likely see him face Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Arraez, and Manny Machado. The Cubs used him yesterday in that same section of the order. Once Imanaga enters, Chicago can stagger right-on-left plate appearances with him and their bullpen cavalry.

    Writer | Director | Author

    Short Film: Path of Two Minds
    Novel: The Great, Horrible Tragedy

    Follow Brandon Glick on Twitter: brandonglick (on BlueSky)

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    Featured Comments

    Hortonhearsawho

    Hortonhearsawho 84

    Posted

    Big strike out with the top of the order coming up now. 

    • Like 1
    Rcal10

    Rcal10 1,541

    Posted

    4 minutes ago, PeanutPunch33 said:

    Anybody but Happ.  A wet paper bag for all I care, Happ is mediocre as hell 

    Too bad Arraez wasn’t playing winning, selfless baseball and could have gotten that bunt down in the first inning. Had he been better at sac bunting the Padres wouldn’t have scored in the first. 

    Jason Ross

    Jason Ross 2,541

    Posted

    Just now, PeanutPunch33 said:

    The guy has 6 ABs in the playoffs and 5 strikeouts against right handed pitching, something he's supposed to be good against.  Do you at least agree that he shouldn't be hitting 3rd?  

    Lineup construction is a really dumb thing. No, I don't really care where he's hitting. 

    Also, 6 PA's is less than 2 games. Steven Kwan has one hit for the Guardians in 8 PA's. Should they bench him? Spencer Torkelson has 1 hit in 2 games, Tigers should probably bench him. Machado doesn't have a single hit so far and he's hitting third. Should he be benched? Should he hit 7th? 

    C'mon. Stop being an overreaction machine. Ian Happ has literally a career of hitting well. I wish he'd have hit better in his 6 PA's too. But everyone who strikes out people on here flip out like they've never watched a single baseball game. Chill out.

    UMFan83

    UMFan83 3,016

    Posted

    1 minute ago, PeanutPunch33 said:

    Sorry I don't love corner outfielders that can't hit worth a **** lol 

    horsefeathers hell I can't do this anymore. 

    • Haha 1
    Jason Ross

    Jason Ross 2,541

    Posted

    4 minutes ago, SpongeWorthy said:

    i'd be astonished if this mattered at all tbh

    I don't think seeing a pitcher two days in a row matters.

    I do think throwing three-days in a row matters. Yes. Relievers generally get a day off after two on. They have a full season of innings. It will likely matter in some fashion. 

    s2obed

    s2obed 80

    Posted

    1 minute ago, UMFan83 said:

    horsefeathers hell I can't do this anymore. 

    Why bother engaging? Happ is the least of the concerns. 

    Stratos

    Stratos 503

    Posted

    Ruh roh

    Cubbies1996

    Cubbies1996 101

    Posted

    Aaannnddddd that’s game.

    UMFan83

    UMFan83 3,016

    Posted

    There's that HR ball

    abuck1220

    abuck1220 207

    Posted

    why the horsefeathers horsefeathers is he allowed to face machado there. 

    • Sad 1
    Jason Ross

    Jason Ross 2,541

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

    Lineup construction is a really dumb thing. No, I don't really care where he's hitting. 

    Also, 6 PA's is less than 2 games. Steven Kwan has one hit for the Guardians in 8 PA's. Should they bench him? Spencer Torkelson has 1 hit in 2 games, Tigers should probably bench him. Machado doesn't have a single hit so far and he's hitting third. Should he be benched? Should he hit 7th? 

    C'mon. Stop being an overreaction machine. Ian Happ has literally a career of hitting well. I wish he'd have hit better in his 6 PA's too. But everyone who strikes out people on here flip out like they've never watched a single baseball game. Chill out.

    Goddamnit. Of course he hits a HR after I horsefeathers post this. 

    Angry Work GIF by IWISH Productions

    Derwood

    Derwood 3,372

    Posted

    What a great time to turn the game on 

    Cubbies1996

    Cubbies1996 101

    Posted

    Should’ve never let Imanaga come back in

    abuck1220

    abuck1220 207

    Posted

    counsell was fantastic yesterday, terrible today. yuck. 

    PeanutPunch33

    PeanutPunch33 210

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

    Lineup construction is a really dumb thing. No, I don't really care where he's hitting. 

    Also, 6 PA's is less than 2 games. Steven Kwan has one hit for the Guardians in 8 PA's. Should they bench him? Spencer Torkelson has 1 hit in 2 games, Tigers should probably bench him. Machado doesn't have a single hit so far and he's hitting third. Should he be benched? Should he hit 7th? 

    C'mon. Stop being an overreaction machine. Ian Happ has literally a career of hitting well. I wish he'd have hit better in his 6 PA's too. But everyone who strikes out people on here flip out like they've never watched a single baseball game. Chill out.

    Lineup construction is not a dumb thing, otherwise the best hitters in baseball would be hitting at the bottom of the lineup instead of the top.  Clearly it means something to people who are in the business.  

    • Disagree 1
    UMFan83

    UMFan83 3,016

    Posted

    My phone was on delay and I was looking at the box score wondering why it said Shota had a 4.91 ERA in the playoffs.  Oh that's why

    • Haha 1
    We Got The Whole 9

    We Got The Whole 9 1,144

    Posted

    Just now, Cubbies1996 said:

    Aaannnddddd that’s game.

    You're a lame. This has been your attitude ever since you came here. It's the damn 5th inning.

    • Like 1
    • Love 1
    Outshined_One

    Outshined_One 847

    Posted

    We all knew it was coming with Shota.

    Let him finish out the inning, and then Rea/Soroka to finish out the game unless the offense actually does something?

    Tryptamine

    Tryptamine 2,034

    Posted

    As well as Consell coached yesterday, he's been pretty miserable today. Kittridge as an opener, Happ facing Cease, leaving Shota in there to face the top of the line up again. All of it was foreseeable. 

    UMFan83

    UMFan83 3,016

    Posted

    That HR hurts too because unless the Cubs can get 1-2 back, the Padres can be a little looser with their pen usage and hold some guys back.

    Cubbies1996

    Cubbies1996 101

    Posted

    wtf is Craig doing today?

    s2obed

    s2obed 80

    Posted

    Shota would been my 3/4 guy on the depth chart. Ride the hot hand.

    This was Jamo or Rea's game. 



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