CHICAGO (AP) — The road for Shota Imanaga from Japan to the major leagues included at least one sharp observation that has served him well in his transition to life with the Chicago Cubs. “Watching foreign players in Japan and how they try to figure out how to get support from the fans, essentially I’m just doing the opposite of that, coming over here,” Imanaga said through a translator. “It was something I thought about.” From his entertaining pitching style to his trips to Dunkin’ Donuts — “Either I order a small iced latte or a medium,” he said — Imanaga has moved with a purpose in his acclimation to the big leagues. And he is making it look easy at the moment. Relying on a deceptive four-seam fastball that he usually locates at the top of the strike zone, along with a splitter that plays at the bottom, Imanaga is 5-0 with a 0.84 ERA for the contending Cubs. The left-hander also has 58 strikeouts and nine walks in 53 2/3 innings — thrusting himself into the early conversation for NL Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award. |
China launches terrestrial ecosystem carbon monitoring satelliteChinese culture experience week held in BrazilXi to Attend Opening Ceremony of Chengdu Universiade, Related Diplomatic ActivitiesXinhua Headlines: Xi Stresses Building Beautiful China, Advancing Modernization Featuring HumanXi's Article on Deepening Reform of Party, State Institutions to Be PublishedFormer U.S. diplomat calls for more communicationXi Stresses Establishing New Systems for HigherHongjiannao National Nature Reserve in NW China's Shaanxi, sanctuary for relict gullsChinese embassy issues security alertChinese scientific expedition team returns safely to Mount Qomolangma base camp