In deciding to use Andrew Kittredge as an opener in Wednesday's Game 2 against the San Diego Padres, it seemed that Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell wanted to limit the number of times Shota Imanaga faced the top of the Padres' starting lineup. It seemed to be working brilliantly as Imanaga tossed three scoreless innings after Kittredge got touched up for a run in the first inning. However, in the fifth inning, facing Manny Machado with a runner on, Counsell took a gamble in leaving Imanaga in the game, and it backfired.
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) October 1, 2025
Matchup-wise, it made little sense for Counsell to let Imanaga pitch to Machado.