A Cubs team that hasn’t been at their peak defensively used their fielding prowess to secure an enthralling 1-0 win over the Mets on Wednesday night.

Clinging to a 1-run lead, Héctor Neris allowed a double to J.D. Martinez that advanced the tying run, Pete Alonso to third with one out. Facing Jeff McNeil, Neris allowed a medium-depth flyball to left field. Ian Happ nestled underneath the ball and rifled it to Nick Madrigal at third base, who had entered that game as a defensive replacement an inning earlier.

Madrigal made a quick exchange and fired it to Miguel Amaya at home, who applied a tag on Alonso on a bang-bang play. Home plate umpire Charlie Ramos called him out and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza bolted out of his dugout to challenge the play. After a 3-minute, 30-second review, the call on the field was upheld, preserving the Cubs’ 1-0 win.

WHAT AN ENDING! pic.twitter.com/G9UnyhMttw

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) May 2, 2024

“I thought he made a great play,” manager Craig Counsell said after the game. “Ian made a good throw to Nick and Nick put a throw right on the money. Just good wherewithal by both guys to do it as fast as they did and accurately as they could and great tag by Miggy.”

[WATCH: Every angle from Wednesday night’s game-winning play]

The Cubs entered the game ranked 28^th as a team in Outs Above Average and 18^th in Defensive Runs Saved after ranking in the top 10 in both categories last year. But Wednesday, their defense stepped up when they needed it most — and helped preserve a gem by their starter.

Before the 9^th-inning heroics, Shota Imanaga continued his major-league dominance tour.

The latest stop was in Queens, New York, where the Cubs’ rookie turned in another stellar outing, tossing 7 shutout innings with 7 strikeouts, 3 hits and a walk in the Cubs’ win. He lowered his season numbers to 0.78 ERA and 0.75 WHIP.

Shota Imanaga is on another level 📈

5-0 Record
34.2 IP
35 K
0.78 ERA
0.75 WHIP pic.twitter.com/sXNtaXZ7Kf

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) May 2, 2024

As has been the case most of the season, Imanaga rarely faced any trouble Wednesday night. The lefty retired the first 4 hitters he faced, allowed consecutive hitters to reach base and escaped the jam by inducing an inning-ending double play. Imanaga never faced any laborious innings, his 18 pitches in the 2^nd were the most he threw a frame.

Imanaga has been the biggest revelation for the Cubs this season.

In a season filled with injuries to the Cubs’ starting rotation, Imanaga has been a steadying presence for the team. The Cubs have won all 6 games he has started. When the team had their top 2 starters on the IL one day into the season, the performances of Imanaga and Javier Assad have been crucial to a Cubs rotation trying to stay afloat.

Now as Jameson Taillon begins to hit his groove and the Cubs continue to get healthy, it makes the Cubs rotation look even stronger.