Thursday's slate gave us everything: A pitcher going eight innings in a blowout, the Cubs extending to NINE straight wins, a closer race that just got fascinating, and a Yankees injury that reshapes the outfield landscape overnight. Let's start with the Cubs. Shota Imanaga: Six innings, one run, ten strikeouts. Chicago beat Cincinnati 8-3 and extended their win streak to nine games. Their record is now 27-12 — best in the National League. Imanaga has been the engine of this entire run. His numbers are backed by legitimate process: 2.40 ERA, 2.37 FIP, 2.74 xERA. That FIP-to-xERA relationship tells you this is real, not luck. His K-to-BB ratio is 3.7-to-1. His sweeper generates a 40%+ whiff rate. His split-finger induces a 44% chase rate. Yes, his hard-hit rate allowed is elevated at 52.5% — that's the flag to monitor. But for now, he's a top-12 sta ...