Rookie left-hander Riley Martin continues to quietly put together an impressive start to his major league career, even in a game dominated by the Chicago Cubs’ hot streak. In Chicago’s 7–4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies, Martin surrendered the first runs of his MLB tenure, allowing a two-run homer to Bryce Harper in the eighth inning. Still, the outing hardly derailed what has been a remarkably efficient stretch: through seven appearances, Martin has logged 7.1 innings with a 2.45 ERA, striking out nine while issuing just one walk. His 0.82 WHIP underscores how difficult he’s been to reach, and despite the home run, he limited further damage and recorded two strikeouts to secure the hold.
While Martin’s consistency out of the bullpen has been a developing storyline, the Cubs continued their surge behind another strong performance from Shota Imanaga. The left-hander delivered seven innings of three-hit ball, allowing only a solo home run to Kyle Schwarber in the sixth. It marked Imanaga’s fourth consecutive sharp outing.
Offensively, Chicago broke things open late. Nico Hoerner launched a solo homer before Seiya Suzuki followed with a two-run blast into the left-field bleachers in the seventh inning.
The victory extended the Cubs’ winning streak to seven games, during which they’ve outscored opponents 51–18—their longest run of success since July 2023. Amid the team’s explosive stretch, Martin’s early-career numbers stand out as a stabilizing force in the bullpen, hinting at a potentially key role moving forward.
