Baseball: Imanaga gets win in return from injury, Ohtani hits 28th HR
ST. LOUIS, Missouri (Kyodo) -- Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga picked up his fourth win of the season in his return from a hamstring strain and Shohei Ohtani hit his National League-leading 28th home run for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday.
Imanaga (4-2) allowed only two baserunners via a single and a walk in five innings of work in the Cubs' 3-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
The Japanese left-hander struck out three en route to lowering his ERA to 2.54. Michael Busch hit a solo home run in the second inning and scored the Cubs' second run in the fourth on a bases-loaded walk to Ian Happ.
"Working on a limited pitch count, I didn't want to be pulled after something like 4-2/3 innings, so I'm glad I got through five innings," said Imanaga, who missed nearly two months after suffering the left hamstring injury in his May 4 start.
"I've realized that leaving a hole in the rotation would put my starting spot in jeopardy, so I need to prepare well for each start."
Cubs teammate Seiya Suzuki went hitless in three at-bats.
At Coors Field, Ohtani's seventh-inning solo homer capped the scoring in the Dodgers' 3-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
It was his third home run in four games. Ohtani went 1-for-3 with the RBI.
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