Shota Imanaga continues impressive MLB start, raising record to 4-0 as Cubs beat Red Sox 7-1

BOSTON (AP) — Shota Imanaga continued an impressive start to his major league career by pitching one-run ball into the seventh inning to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 7-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.

Signed to a $53 million, four-year deal during the offseason after an eight-year, professional career in Japan, the 30-year-old Imanaga (4-0) beat Boston right-hander Kutter Crawford in a matchup of two pitchers with impressive ERAs.

“Just more of the same,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said of his left-hander. “Just attacking the strike zone. Again, No. 1, just in the strike zone. That's how he pitches every single time. ... By being in the strike zone so much you start to get hitters that start to get aggressive on him, and then he's getting some quick outs.”

Coming off a three-game sweep at Wrigley Field over the Astros, the Cubs rode a two-hit, two-RBI night by rookie Pete Crow-Armstrong for their fifth win in six games. Patrick Wisdom added a pinch-hit, two-run double.

Tyler O’Neill hit his eighth homer for the Red Sox, who fell to 3-8 in Fenway Park.

Imanaga held Boston’s offense, which has struggled at home and came in hitting just .198 in Fenway, to five hits with seven strikeouts and a walk over 6 1/3 innings, raising his ERA slightly to 0.98.

“I did have one walk, but I was able to attack the zone,” he said through a team translator.

Boston manager Alex Cora said before the game that the Red Sox had a video chat with him before he signed with Chicago.

“There's things I can talk about and things I can't talk about," Imanaga said. 'We talked about the kind of pitches I throw and how unique it is in MLB, and how I can use those pitches."

Of joining the Cubs over Boston he said: “It was really just me and talking to other guys around me, I came to a decision and I can't really talk about that.”

Crow-Armstrong got his first MLB hit, a tiebreaking two-run homer on Thursday that snapped a 0-for-16 start to his career.

Crawford (1-1) gave up four runs, three earned, on 10 hits over six innings, raising his ERA to 1.35 from a major league best 0.66.

“I can't have my head down after an outing like this,” he said. “My main goal every time I take that ball is to try and throw as many strikes as possible and attack hitters. I feel like when I look back at this outing I was able to do that.”

He allowed two runs on four hits in the second — both more than he has totaled in four of his previous five starts this season — when Chicago grabbed a 2-0 edge. He had not given up more than a run in each of his other starts.

Matt Mervis had an RBI single and Crow-Armstrong added a run-scoring single after Cora won a challenge that he wasn’t hit by a pitch, forcing him back to the plate.

Crow-Armstrong’s safety squeeze scored Dansby Swanson, making it 3-0 in the fourth. Swanson held about halfway down the line before breaking to the plate when Crawford turned his back and threw to first.

After breezing through the first 10 batters, Imanaga gave up O’Neill’s homer into the center field bleachers.

The lefty worked up in the zone — sometimes just out of it — with a fastball in the low 90 mph range and down with a sharp splitter.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: Counsell had very little update on outfielder Cody Bellinger, who fractured two ribs crashing into a wall on Tuesday that landed him on the 10-day injured list a day later. “We’ve just got to get Cody symptom-free here, then we’ll go onto the next steps. That’s where we’re at right now,” he said.

Red Sox: Cora said 2B Vaughn Grissom (out since spring training with a left hamstring injury) is scheduled to play nine innings on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester on Saturday and Sunday in what could be “the last hurdle, probably” before he makes his season and Boston debut. … RHP Nick Pivetta (IL since April 6 with a flexor strain of his pitching elbow) is scheduled to throw live BP off the Fenway mound on Saturday.

UP NEXT

Cubs: RHP Ben Brown (0-0, 3.72 ERA) is set to start Saturday.

Red Sox: RHP Josh Winckowski (1-1, 4.20 ERA) is scheduled to start the second of the three-game series.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Chicago Cubs' Mike Tauchman (40) scores on a sacrifice fly by Michael Busch during the fifth inning of the team's baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, April 26, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) leaves the field after being relieved during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, April 26, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Chicago Cubs' Michael Busch, right, scores in front of Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong, left, on a two-run double by Patrick Wisdom during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Friday, April 26, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Red Sox's Jarren Duran, center, is out on a bunt after a throw by Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga, left, to first baseman Michael Busch (29) during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Friday, April 26, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Keegan Thompson, center, and catcher Miguel Amaya, left, celebrate after defeating the Boston Red Sox in a baseball game, Friday, April 26, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Red Sox's Rafael Devers, right, reacts in front of Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya, left, after striking out swinging during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Friday, April 26, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) leaves the field after being relieved during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, April 26, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Chicago Cubs' Patrick Wisdom follows through on a two-run double during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, April 26, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga throws to a Boston Red Sox batter during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, April 26, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 8, 2024--

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) announced today that Fernando Rivas has been named SEVP and Co-CEO of Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB), reporting to Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf and joining the company’s Operating Committee, effective today. Rivas and Jon Weiss, who has been CIB’s CEO since February 2020, will lead the business together.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240508507114/en/

Rivas joins Wells Fargo after a nearly 30-year career at JP Morgan Chase & Company (JPMC). He was most recently JPMC’s Head of North American Investment Banking. Prior to that, he was Co-Head of JPMC’s Global Financial Institutions Group. In these and other roles at JPMC, he built and led market-leading investment banking franchises and managed many of the firm’s largest investment banking relationships, including being involved in dozens of marquee strategic transactions and capital raises.

“Fernando joins our company at an exciting time,” Scharf said. “Our Corporate and Investment Bank has been an important part of the company for decades, and we have been carefully and methodically investing under Jon’s leadership to deepen and broaden our capabilities. We have added over 50 senior bankers and traders since 2020 and have seen the positive impact with increased revenue and market share.”

Scharf continued: “I have known Fernando for 20 years and have seen first-hand why so many CEOs regard him as one of the most talented bankers in our industry. His deep knowledge of our industry and keen strategic sense make him a great addition to our Operating Committee, and his background and skills will complement the terrific team Jon has put together as we continue to build a top-tier Corporate and Investment Bank while maintaining the strong risk disciplines we have had in place for so long.”

Weiss said, “I’ve gotten to know Fernando and am excited to be working with him. We share the same values, priorities, and vision for the CIB, and I’m looking forward to our partnership. I’m proud of the progress we have made and am excited about the opportunities in front of us as we continue to build on our strong momentum.”

Rivas said, “I am excited to partner with Charlie, Jon and the CIB leadership team to build on the strong momentum in the business, capture the enormous opportunity inherent in Wells Fargo’s franchise and deliver the excellence and humanity that are the cornerstones of an exceptional financial services business.”

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 47 on Fortune’s 2023 rankings of America’s largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth, financial health, and a low-carbon economy. News, insights, and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.

Additional information may be found at www.wellsfargo.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wellsfargo

Cautionary Statement About Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements about our future financial performance and business. Because forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding the future, they are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. Do not unduly rely on forward-looking statements as actual results could differ materially from expectations. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and we do not undertake to update them to reflect changes or events that occur after that date. For information about factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations, refer to our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the discussion under “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website at www.sec.gov.

News Release Category: WF-CF

A Wells Fargo Bank branch located in the Wells Fargo Center (Photo: Wells Fargo)