Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates

PITTSBURGH – It seemed more like Wrigley Field without the ivy Saturday night than a sellout crowd at PNC Park. It is hard to know exactly how many Cubs fans were in the stands, but it seemed like a lot. Their favorite team gave them plenty to cheer for as the Cubs rolled to an 11-0 victory. “We travel so well and have such great fans that anytime you can hear them cheer and get behind you, then you know you’re doing something right,” center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said with a smile. “They had a lot to be happy about tonight.” And perhaps a reason to continue being happy on Sunday when the Cubs can sweep the three-game series against their National League Central rivals. Shota Imanaga (7-8) continued his career-long domination of the Pirates as he pitched six scoreless innings. The left-hander allowed four hits while striking out four and walking one. Javier Assad pitched the last three innings to complete the shutout and earn his first save this season. “I thought Shota was good for sure,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “They were super aggressive against him, and I think he took advantage of that. I thought he made good pitches with his whole arsenal and used everything well.” Imanaga has allowed only one run to the Pirates over six starts and 38 innings during his three-year career. However, he claims to have no secret formula for that success. “They’ve had some of the same hitters the last three years. I think that \[familiarity\