BOX SCORE

Tuesday marked a noticeable shift in the Chicago Cubs’ schedule.

It was the first time in 2025 that the Cubs played a game against a team that is below .500.

The Cubs took immediate advantage against the Pirates on Tuesday night as they coasted to a 9-0 blowout victory in Pittsburgh.

The Cubs (18-12) collected 13 hits and drew five walks — without striking out a single time. It was the first time the Cubs played a nine-inning game without striking out since a July 3, 2013 game in Oakland.

Here are three takeaways from the Cubs’ win over the Pirates (11-18):

Sho nooo …

That sound you heard around 8 p.m. CT was a collective sigh of relief across the entire North Side of Chicago as the news on Shota Imanaga’s injury came back positive.

The Cubs ace was spinning yet another gem against the Pirates before he was forced out of the game after one batter in the sixth inning with an apparent injury.

The team reported the following inning that Imanaga was removed with leg cramps — and thus not a serious injury.

It appeared a nightmare scenario was unfolding for the Cubs, who already are without co-ace Justin Steele (elbow) for the rest of the season. This is the best possible outcome for Imanaga and the Cubs (and, let’s be honest — the fans).

Imanaga was cruising on the mound before his departure. He tossed five shutout innings, and has yet to allow an earned run to the Pirates in 19 career frames.

A stroke of genius

Before Thursday’s game, Craig Counsell tinkered with the Cubs’ lineup, moving shortstop Dansby Swanson to the No. 8 spot and relocating catcher Carson Kelly to the cleanup role.

The move was predicated in part because of Swanson’s struggles at the plate but also Kelly’s red-hot start to the season.

It paid immediate dividends as Kelly crushed a two-run shot in the fourth inning to open the scoring …

… and Swanson later followed with a solo blast in the eighth:

It was Kelly’s seventh homer of the season, and he now has a whopping 21 RBI in just 15 starts. He also boasts an .891 slugging percentage and 1.415 OPS on the year.

Those are eye-popping numbers for the veteran, who never has hit more than 18 homers or driven in more than 47 runs in a season throughout his career.

The Cubs’ offense has been among the best in baseball this season, but Swanson hasn’t found his footing yet, and he’s now slashing just .185/.240/.370 with five homers and 16 RBI in 30 games. If he can get back on track, this lineup could look even more dangerous.

Easy rider

No baseball schedule is ever truly “easy,” but the next few weeks will be a cakewalk for the Cubs compared to the gauntlet they’ve already endured.

We mentioned above that the Cubs had faced only winning squads so far in 2025. In fact, they were the only team in Major League Baseball that hadn’t faced a losing team entering play Tuesday:

Tuesday began a stretch where the Cubs will play some of the weakest teams in the league (Pirates, Miami Marlins, Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies) over the next month.

There will be some important series mixed in — including a big three-game set against the Brewers in Milwaukee this weekend — but overall, the Cubs might have a relaxing month of May. They have the easiest remaining schedule in the league after boasting the hardest schedule through the season’s first month.

Of course, the schedule is only “easy” on paper. The Cubs need to keep the good times rolling after a strong showing in March and April. And Tuesday’s injury scare with Imanaga showed that disaster only could be one moment away.

But for now, Cubs fans should sit back, relax and enjoy the run the team is on.