Shota Imanaga Shoves as Cubs Come Alive in 5-1 Win vs. Cardinals

Saturday's win may be the shot in the arm that the Chicago Cubs need. With another dominant performance from Shota Imanaga, the offense was able to power him to his 7th win on the season.

Being down 1-0 is never a good sign for this team, but this time it was key contributors who gave the offense some life and excitement to fans.

While a positive moment, it still doesn't change the need for more reinforcements. If the Cubs can use this win as a launching pad to relevancy again, it'll make for a nice redemption story.

Tale of the Tape

After Friday's disappointing loss , the Cubs were in desperate need of a turnaround. What better solution to those woes than a start from Shota Imanaga? The lefty gave everything on the mound on Saturday. His two strikeouts in the 1st inning was a great way to start.

The scoring affair wouldn't begin till the top of the 4th inning. It was Nolan Arenado giving the St. Louis Cardinals an RBI flyout and the lead at 1-0. Like clockwork, the Cubs were going to have to come from behind once again.

Thanks to some nifty small ball, the Cubs came back with an immediate response. A fielding error by Cardinals' pitcher Chris Roycroft brought the game back even. A Dansby Swanson groundout put the Cubs in front at 2-1.

No lead is ever safe and with this team. It was going to be a battle to just preserve it. As every inning came and went, the thought of them giving it right back was not an outrageous one.

Even their recent ability to blow opportunities was not out of the realm either. However, in the bottom of the 7th inning, the Cubs were able to expand upon their 2-1 lead thanks to the efforts of Ian Happ.

With a three-run shot into the left field bleachers, even the cameraman didn't think he got all of it. It's been a rough season and everyone is used to this team coming up short. Unlike Patrick Wisdom on Friday, this home run got out for once.

Cubs' pitching was dominant on the day. Shota Imanaga went 7.0 innings without allowing a walk. Tyson Miller came on for the remainder of the game, going 2.0 innings and not allowing a hit.

With a 5-1 victory , the Cubs put on one of their better performances of the season. Against a division rival, this game was a great adrenaline boost. They will look to bottle this up in the series' finale.

Takeaways

After so much disappointment, the Cubs woke up and took care of business. Shota Imanaga has been a revelation for the rotation. With so much disappointment throughout the season, the lefty has been their biggest bright spot.

If Imanaga continues this run of dominance, he will easily be the best signing of the Jed Hoyer era.

The offense finally provided enough wiggle room to preserve the lead. So many times this team gave just enough for other teams to come right back into games. Ian Happ's home run put the team up by four runs. If the Cardinals made a comeback, it wouldn't be the offense to blame.

What's On Tap Next?

With the series even, the Cubs will look to build off of Saturday's heroics to close this one out. Jameson Taillon takes the mound against righty Miles Mikolas and the Cardinals on Sunday. First pitch is at 12:05 PM CDT and can be seen on Roku .

Subscribe to On Tap Sports Net on YouTube , and the Cubs On Tap podcast and Dingers: A Chicago Cubs Podcast for more Chicago Cubs content, updates, and hot takes!