3 takeaways from the Chicago Cubs’ series win, including Nico Hoerner raking and Shota Imanaga dealing

PHILADELPHIA — One mistake on the second pitch of the game could have been the first indicator of a rough night for Chicago Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga.

Instead, Trea Turner’s leadoff home run Wednesday night was all the Philadelphia Phillies managed against Imanaga in a dominant outing in the Cubs’ 11-2 victory to secure a series win. Imanaga struck out 11 — tying his career high — in six innings and allowed just two more hits after Turner’s blast. The Cubs (9-9) provided plenty of support for Imanaga, scoring multiple runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings in the blowout.

It was a strong overall performance for the Cubs to kick off a challenging stretch that includes a five-series stretch against the Phillies (twice), New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, the latter two on a West Coast trip to end April.

With back-to-back wins over the Phillies before Thursday’s off day, here are three takeaways from the series at Citizens Bank Park.

1. Nico Hoerner staying hot.

The Cubs second baseman continues to set the tone at the top of the order.

Horner tallied eight RBIs in the Cubs’ consecutive wins with his five Wednesday, setting a career high. He keeps showing how he can do damage multiple ways, whether it was shooting a sinker down the first-base line to drive in two runs in the sixth inning or his two-run home run to center field in the fifth off Phillies lefty Jésus Luzardo.

“There’s some contact that’s more ideal than others, but ultimately, I want to hit the ball flush,” said Hoerner, who went 3-for-5. “I want to hit hard line drives and certain pitches I elevate more naturally than others. But overall I want to hit hard line drives all over the ballpark and swing at good pitches.”

Through 18 games, Hoerner is hitting .324 with a .410 on-base percentage and 159 wRC+. His 18 RBIs are tied for third-most in the majors.

“We’re getting Nico at-bats in the right spot, which is men on base too, and he’s been incredible with that,” manager Craig Counsell said. “The ball down the right-field line with men on base and two strikes, that’s just a Nico at-bat. The home run was a beautiful swing down in the zone. But he’s doing a heck of a job, man. He’s really a machine right now.”

2. Shota Imanaga looking like ’24 version

Imanaga and the Cubs felt confident the work he put in over the offseason and spring training would pay off with better results than his inconsistent, injury-plagued 2025.

Although he’s only through four starts this season, Wednesday’s outing was Imanaga at his best between his pitch mix and command. Imanaga got 26 swing and misses from the Phillies lineup, the most by a pitcher in an MLB game this year. Those 26 whiffs also tie Yu Darvish (Aug. 23, 2020) for the most by a Cubs pitcher in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008).

“There’s this question of where does confidence come from: Do you have to do it, or can you have it?” Counsell said. “I think we were all very confident of what Shota was going to bring to the table from really the first time he threw a bullpen this spring, and he’s pitching at a really high level, and he is really confident right now.”

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Imanaga’s 11 K’s gave him his fourth double-digit strikeout game of his career and first since Sept. 16, 2024. The Cubs need the consistency he has shown early. Over his last three starts, Imanaga has given up just two runs, six hits and two walks with 24 strikeouts in 17 innings. With the pitching injuries the Cubs are dealing with, quality starts are vital to preserve a depleted bullpen.

Nights like Wednesday from Imanaga certainly change the outlook of the Cubs rotation if he pitches more like his dominant 2024 version.

“After that (leadoff home run), I felt like my mechanics were really good, there’s something good there,” Imanaga said through interpreter Edwin Stanberry. “And so I stayed calm, didn’t rush myself and just believed in myself.

“Every year I’ve been leveling up, and there’s parts of 2025 that I thought was better than 2024 and for me, this year, it’s about trying to create a new version of myself instead of trying to look in the past, just think about the future.”

3. Offense getting contributions throughout.

The Cubs need more than just Hoerner’s hot hitting to get rolling collectively as an offensive unit.

There were signs in Philadelphia that the lineup might be trending in a positive direction. The Cubs had 15 hits in both Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s victories with 11 multihit games.

Despite Alex Bregman’s struggles to put the ball in the air more consistently with a cleaner bat path, he recorded three hits and three RBIs Tuesday and had another hit and walk Wednesday. Matt Shaw, batting in the No. 9 spot Wednesday, hit three doubles, drove in two runs and scored twice. Dansby Swanson slugged his fourth home run to tie for the team lead.

The contributions up and down the lineup were an encouraging development the Cubs hope carry into their six-game homestand that begins Friday against the Mets.

“I feel like we should go out there and expect to have good at-bats and finally things are starting to fall a little bit,” Shaw said. “It’s awesome to get some momentum and have the boys rolling.”