Chicago Cubs Demolish Pittsburgh Pirates 11-0 as Imanaga and Assad Combine for a Dominant Shutout

The Chicago Cubs entered PNC Park carrying a red-hot offense, and if you missed this game, you missed an absolute masterclass in pitching depth and lineup efficiency. A Pirates squad that should have been competitive at home simply had no answer for a Cubs attack that erupted for 16 hits and 11 unanswered runs. Here is every number, every inning breakdown, and every player stat you need from one of the most lopsided Cubs performances of the 2026 MLB season.

The Lead

On Sunday, July 25, 2026, the Chicago Cubs traveled to PNC Park in Pittsburgh and put on a clinic, routing the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-0 in a game that was never really in doubt after the fifth inning. The Cubs collected 16 hits against a Pirates rotation that included Paul Skenes — one of the most hyped arms in the game — and turned those opportunities into a run total that left Pittsburgh fans streaming for the exits early.

The pitching side of the story was equally compelling. Shota Imanaga earned the win with six scoreless innings, scattering four hits and walking one batter while striking out four. Closer Javier Assad polished off the final three frames with a save, allowing only one hit and fanning three, keeping the Pirates completely off the board all nine innings. The result was a combined shutout that improved the Cubs’ case as one of the NL’s most complete teams heading into the second half of July.

Match Overview Table

Core Match Statistics Overview

Team Stats Comparison

Batting Average Dominance

• The Cubs posted a .372 team batting average versus a .156 mark for Pittsburgh — a gap that speaks to the Pirates’ complete inability to put bat on ball against Imanaga and Assad.
• Chicago’s .577 BABIP shows the Cubs hit balls where fielders simply weren’t, while Pittsburgh’s zero extra-base hits meant every hit was purely singles with no damage attached.

RISP Execution

• Chicago went 6-for-17 with runners in scoring position — a .353 average in high-leverage at-bats that produced every single one of their 11 RBIs.
• Pittsburgh went 0-for-1 with RISP, a reflection of how thoroughly Imanaga and Assad stranded any baserunner that reached.

Pitching Efficiency

• The Cubs used only 116 pitches to retire 34 Pirates batters across nine innings, averaging fewer than 13 pitches per inning — a mark of elite command and early contact management.
• Pittsburgh burned 197 pitches against 49 Cubs batters, with Isaac Mattson’s relief appearance standing as the most disastrous: four hits, three earned runs, and one walk in just one-third of an inning.

Power Hitting Edge

• Chicago’s .163 ISO (Isolated Power) versus Pittsburgh’s .000 ISO confirmed the Cubs were the only team hitting the ball with authority. Pete Crow-Armstrong’s home run was the game’s lone dinger.
• Five extra-base hits from the Cubs — two doubles from Crow-Armstrong, one each from Dansby Swanson and Pedro Ramirez — kept the Pirates’ outfield honest and extended inning after inning.

Inning-by-Inning Analysis

Innings 1–4: A Scoreless Start, But Cubs Control the Flow

• Shota Imanaga set the tone immediately, working around a minor early-count threat in the first three innings and keeping Pittsburgh’s lineup guessing with a varied pitch mix.
• Paul Skenes matched zeros through four frames as well, but his pitch count was already climbing into uncomfortable territory as the Cubs lineup worked deep counts every at-bat.
• The Cubs’ approach at the plate in the first four innings — patient, disciplined, refusing to swing at Skenes’ best stuff — laid the groundwork for the offensive eruption that followed.

5th Inning: The Dam Breaks

• Chicago put up three runs in the fifth to break the scoreless tie, punishing Skenes just as his pitch count crossed 80 and his stuff began to lose sharpness.
• Pete Crow-Armstrong ignited the frame with a two-double, delivering two of his three RBIs in this inning alone.
• Skenes was unable to limit the damage, ultimately departing after 5.1 innings, having allowed five earned runs on six hits — a result that will sting for a pitcher of his caliber.

6th Inning: The Knockout Blow

• Five runs in the sixth inning put the game entirely out of reach. Ron Marinaccio replaced Skenes and immediately surrendered a home run to Crow-Armstrong, making it 8-0.
• Isaac Mattson’s appearance was nothing short of catastrophic: four hits and three earned runs in one-third of an inning (ERA of 81.00 on the night) represented the complete collapse of Pittsburgh’s bullpen depth.

Innings 7–9: Mop-Up and Shutdown

• The Cubs added two more in the seventh and one in the eighth, piling on runs even against Pittsburgh’s final relievers Brandon Eisert and Tyler Callihan (who pitched a clean inning out of position as a position player).
• Javier Assad handled the final three innings in save fashion, permitting just one hit across the entire stretch and finishing with three strikeouts and a pristine 0.00 ERA on the night.
• The scoreboard read 11-0 after nine complete innings — the most lopsided Cubs performance in recent memory against a Pirates team that entered the day with legitimate pitching expectations.

Chicago Cubs Player Statistics

Pete Crow-Armstrong — CF

Crow-Armstrong was the unquestioned star of this game. Four hits in five at-bats, including two doubles and a home run off Ron Marinaccio in the sixth, made him the offensive engine the Cubs rode all afternoon. Three RBIs and three runs scored underscore how often he was both starting and finishing Cubs rallies.

Michael Busch — 1B

Busch was quietly one of the best hitters on the field, going 3-for-6 with two RBIs in a long lineup that offered Pittsburgh no rest. His ability to make hard contact late in games — when the Cubs were already winning big — kept the pressure on and forced Pittsburgh’s relievers to stay sharp.

Shota Imanaga — SP (Win)

Imanaga was the definition of efficient dominance. Six innings of shutout ball on only 84 pitches, with just four hits allowed and one walk — a textbook outing that gave Chicago’s bullpen a comfortable runway. His ability to induce weak contact early in counts kept Pittsburgh’s batters frustrated throughout.

Miguel Amaya — C

Amaya provided the kind of behind-the-plate run production the Cubs count on from their catcher spot. Two RBIs and two runs scored from the bottom third of the order amplified Chicago’s lineup depth and prevented Pittsburgh from finding any soft spots to exploit.

Dansby Swanson — SS

Swanson was the table-setter the Cubs needed at the top of the order, going 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, a walk, and two runs scored. His ability to reach base ahead of the power core kept Pittsburgh’s pitchers in constant danger.

Pedro Ramirez — 2B

Ramirez contributed meaningfully in the middle of the order with a double, an RBI, and two runs. His presence gave the Cubs lineup balance at the 5-hole, ensuring the heart of the order didn’t carry the weight alone.

Seiya Suzuki — RF

Suzuki’s night was quiet in the hit column — just 1-for-6 — but two RBIs show he capitalized when it mattered. In a game where 16 Cubs hits were spread across the roster, his run production from limited contact highlights his clutch approach.

Javier Assad — RP (Save)

Assad’s three-inning save was the exclamation point on the combined shutout. With only 32 pitches needed, he was sharp, economical, and unhittable — allowing just a single while fanning three Pirates in the final three frames.

Pittsburgh Pirates Player Statistics

Paul Skenes — SP (Loss)

Skenes posted 11 strikeouts — which tells you how good his stuff was — but five earned runs on six hits and 105 pitches through 5.1 innings represents a tough night. The Cubs’ lineup ground him down with long at-bats, and when they made contact, it counted. This was not a Skenes-was-bad story; this was a Cubs-were-relentless story.

Jake Mangum — CF

Mangum provided one of only five Pittsburgh hits, going 1-for-4 in the leadoff spot. With no extra-base hits in the entire Pirates lineup, there was simply no way to manufacture pressure against Assad and Imanaga regardless of who was getting on base.

Nick Gonzales — 3B

Gonzales’ 1-for-4 line was representative of the Pirates’ evening — singles with no one on base or no one to drive them home. Pittsburgh managed five hits total, and not one of them led directly to a run scored.

Statistical Leaders Summary Table

Analytical Breakdowns

Why the Chicago Cubs Won

Lineup Depth That Wore Down Pittsburgh’s Entire Staff

The Cubs didn’t win this game with two or three players. They won it with everyone. Six different players drove in at least one run. That lineup construction — where no pitcher can breathe easy facing anyone — is exactly why Pittsburgh used 197 pitches against only 49 batters. The bottom third of the Cubs order (Amaya, Happ, and Ramirez) was just as capable of doing damage as the top.

Pitching Command and Economy

Imanaga and Assad combined for a 0.667 WHIP across nine innings — virtually unhittable. The Cubs needed only 116 pitches to complete the shutout, meaning their starters faced minimal traffic and could execute pitch sequences rather than battle deep counts.

Situational Hitting When It Mattered

Chicago went 6-for-17 with runners in scoring position. That is not a lucky number — that reflects disciplined two-strike approaches and the ability to put the barrel on the ball in pressure moments.

Why the Pittsburgh Pirates Lost

Complete Offensive Shutdown

Pittsburgh produced five singles across nine innings. Zero extra-base hits. Zero walks that led to danger. Zero runs. An OPS of .362 from the entire Pittsburgh lineup is a team-wide failure to make the kind of contact necessary to put pressure on any major-league pitching staff, let alone one as sharp as Imanaga and Assad were on this afternoon.

Paul Skenes Worn Down by Patient At-Bats

Eleven strikeouts from Skenes confirms his arm was alive, but 105 pitches in 5.1 innings tells you the Cubs made him work for every out. When he departed with five runs already on the board, Pittsburgh’s bullpen — Marinaccio (ERA: 13.50), Mattson (ERA: 81.00), and Eisert (ERA: 9.00) — had absolutely nothing to offer.

Zero Damage Potential on the Basepaths

Pittsburgh reached base a handful of times through singles, but with an ISO of .000 and no extra-base threat anywhere in the lineup, there was never a scenario where Pittsburgh could score multiple runs in a single swing. Against a pitching staff giving up nothing, that meant the Pirates were mathematically eliminated from coming back the moment the Cubs opened the scoring.

Historical Context & Advanced Insights

Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates — 2026 Season Series

The Cubs took two of three in this Pittsburgh series. Despite dropping the finale on July 26, their July 25 performance represents the dominant middle game of a competitive series — the kind of win that swings run differential in the Cubs’ favor even when the series itself splits close.

Advanced Statistical Insights: Pitch Economy and Efficiency

One of the sharpest advanced metrics from this game is the pitch-per-batter differential. The Cubs used 116 pitches against 34 Pirates batters — roughly 3.41 pitches per batter. Pittsburgh needed 197 pitches against 49 Cubs batters — about 4.02 pitches per batter.

That gap of 0.61 pitches per batter compounds over 49 at-bats into 30 “extra” pitches the Pirates had to throw — the direct result of the Cubs’ patient, deep-count approach that forced Skenes to throw breaking balls in unfavorable counts and ultimately eroded the bite on his fastball.

Imanaga’s K/9 rate of 7 versus Pittsburgh’s K/9 of 16 is also worth noting in context: Pittsburgh struck out the Cubs at a far higher rate, yet still surrendered 11 runs. High strikeout rates mean nothing when base hits arrive in clusters, and the Cubs’ .577 BABIP confirms this was a team that consistently found the gaps.

Game Implications & Key Lessons

What This Means for the Chicago Cubs

• The 11-0 win dramatically improves the Cubs’ run differential in the NL Central standings race, which could prove decisive in a tight divisional finish.
• Imanaga earning the win on just 84 pitches means the Cubs’ rotation takes minimal fatigue damage heading into the upcoming Cardinals and Yankees series.
• Pete Crow-Armstrong’s 4-hit, 3-RBI performance reaffirms his status as the Cubs’ most dynamic offensive threat, a player who can carry the lineup when the middle of the order faces tough pitching.

What This Means for the Pittsburgh Pirates

• Paul Skenes absorbing a loss — even with 11 strikeouts — exposes a recurring concern: the Pirates’ offense cannot score enough to support any pitcher if the opposing lineup has a great day.
• Pittsburgh’s bullpen ERA on this evening (combining Marinaccio, Mattson, and Eisert at historic inefficiency) signals a serious roster construction issue in the relief corps that the front office must address.
• With zero runs scored and zero hits with RISP, the Pirates’ offense needs significant help to be a legitimate NL Central contender in August and beyond.

Key Lessons from the Game

• Pitch count management wins games. The Cubs’ disciplined approach forced Pittsburgh into 197 pitches and drained every arm in the bullpen.
• Shutouts are built in clusters. All 11 Cubs runs came in four-inning bursts (5th through 8th) after a patient 0-0 start.
• Lineup depth beats dominant individual pitching. Skenes struck out 11 batters and still lost by 11 runs — because the Cubs lineup never allowed a single 1-2-3 inning with runners on.
• Chicago did not waste its opportunities; Pittsburgh had almost none.
• Save appearances matter. Assad’s 3-inning, 32-pitch save preserved the shutout’s psychological value — a signal to the rest of the NL that the Cubs bullpen is just as capable as their rotation.
• Pitching economy determines roster freshness. Chicago’s 116-pitch combined shutout left their bullpen arms untouched — a significant advantage heading into a seven-game stretch against St. Louis and New York.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Won the Cubs vs Pirates Game on July 25, 2026?

The Chicago Cubs won 11-0 over the Pittsburgh Pirates in a nine-inning combined shutout at PNC Park.

Who Won the Pitching Decision for the Chicago Cubs?

Shota Imanaga earned the win, pitching six scoreless innings on 84 pitches, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out four. Javier Assad recorded the save with three shutout relief innings.

Who Took the Loss for Pittsburgh?

Paul Skenes was tagged with the loss, departing after 5.1 innings with five earned runs allowed despite striking out 11 batters on 105 pitches.

Who Was the Best Player in the Cubs vs Pirates Game?

Pete Crow-Armstrong was the standout performer, going 4-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, three RBIs, and three runs scored — the most complete individual offensive game of the contest.

What Were Shota Imanaga’s Stats on July 25, 2026?

Imanaga threw six innings, allowing four hits and zero earned runs with four strikeouts, one walk, and only 84 pitches — one of the most efficient outings of his season.

How Many Hits Did the Cubs Get in the 11-0 Win?

The Chicago Cubs collected 16 hits in the shutout victory, with Pete Crow-Armstrong (4), Michael Busch (3), Dansby Swanson (2), Pedro Ramirez (2), and Miguel Amaya (2) leading the way.

Conclusion

The Chicago Cubs’ 11-0 shellacking of the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 25, 2026 was not a fluke — it was a performance built on every pillar of winning baseball. Efficient pitching, deep-lineup offensive production, situational hitting with runners in scoring position, and disciplined pitch count management all converged in a single game. Shota Imanaga and Javier Assad combined for a nine-inning shutout on only 116 pitches. Pete Crow-Armstrong put on a show at the plate. And a Cubs lineup without a soft spot wore down Paul Skenes — one of the game’s best young arms — until he had nothing left to give.

For Pittsburgh, the lessons are harder to sit with: a bullpen that imploded historically, an offense with zero power output, and no answers in pressure situations. The Cubs, meanwhile, head into their Cardinals series riding momentum and depth that few teams in the NL can match right now.