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NO-NO: Chicago Cubs toss a combined no-hitter to blank Pittsburgh

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Updated  September 4, 2024 9:14pm CDT
Cubs
FOX 32 Chicago

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CHICAGO - The 2024 Cubs have a no-no on their resume.

Led by Shota Imanaga, Chicago Cubs tossed a combined no-hitter on Wednesday.

In a 12-0 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Cubs used three total pitchers to blank the Pirates.

This is the 18th no-hitter by the Cubs in franchise history. It's also the first no-hitter thrown by the Cubs at Wrigley since Milt Pappas in 1972.

Imanaga pitched 7.0 innings, walking two and striking out seven Pirates to kick-start the no-hitter.

Alec Mills threw the last Cubs' no-hitter on September 13, 2020. The Cubs have thrown 17 no-hitters in franchise history.

This is the first combined no-hitter by the Cubs since June 24, 2021, when Zach Davies, Andrew Chafin, Ryan Tepera, and Craig Kimbrel combined to no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Offensively, the Cubs scored in six of the nine innings of play.

Cody Bellinger, Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong all hit home runs in the win. Swanson had three RBI on the evening.

Imanaga earned the win improving his record to 12-3. After Imanaga, both Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge combined to close out the win and the no hitter.

As a team, the Cubs tossed 114 total pitches, 81 of which were strikes.

Imanaga, a 31-year-old left-hander in his first season with the Cubs after pitching in Japan for eight seasons, struck out seven and walked two over seven innings. He threw 66 of 95 pitches for strikes.

He needed 25 pitches to get through the second inning. His season high in pitches is 103 pitches against St. Louis on June 15. Imanaga has not gotten an out in the eighth inning.

Imanaga agreed in January to a $53 million, four-year contract. Chicago paid a $9,825,000 posting fee to the Yokohama BayStars of Japan’s Central League.

After the game, Imanaga told reporters he didn’t know he had a no-hitter going through seven innings. Imanaga said he only found out when Craig Counsell approached him after the 7th inning with a worried look on his face.

He was pulled before the eighth inning.

"You're taking care of Shota," Counsell told reporters after the game. "It's 100% about taking care of Shota and making sure we're doing the right thing for him. It's not fun to do."

Pearson pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning and Hodge a perfect ninth.

This was the fourth no-hitter this season after complete-game efforts by Houston’s Ronel Blanco against Toronto on April 1, San Diego’s Dylan Cease at Washington on July 25 and San Francisco’s Blake Snell at Cincinnati on April 2.