The Chicago Cubs are in a tough stretch, dropping their season-high fourth straight game in a 4-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. But don't let the score fool you—this one wasn't on their starting pitcher.

Shota Imanaga, the Cubs' left-handed ace, was locked in from the first pitch. Facing the best offense in baseball, he pitched into the eighth inning and left the game tied at 1-1. Yet, true to his nature, Imanaga wasn't satisfied. "Reflecting on my outing today, if I didn't give up any runs then the Cubs would have had a chance to win," he said through an interpreter. "So when I'm looking back at it, I should have kept them to zero."

That's the kind of standard that makes Imanaga special. He found his rhythm in the middle innings, retiring 10 straight batters after a key inning-ending double play in the fourth. Opponents are hitting just .183 off him this season—the seventh-lowest mark in baseball—thanks in large part to his ability to get hitters to chase pitches outside the zone. He leads the majors with a 39.7% chase rate, and Wednesday was no different, as the Braves swung at 38% of pitches out of the strike zone.

Imanaga also extended his streak of pitching at least five innings to 20 games, the third-longest active streak in the National League behind only the Phillies' Cristopher Sánchez and Zack Wheeler. "Shota was awesome," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. "Against a team that's been that good offensively to shut them down into the eighth inning, he pitched wonderfully. It's a shame we couldn't do a little more on the other side of the ball to get him some runs."

Unfortunately, the Cubs' bats went quiet again. They managed just four hits and left several runners on base, including five walks that went wasted. The Braves broke the tie in the eighth inning against reliever Phil Maton, tagging him for three runs—including one inherited from Imanaga—to seal the 4-1 loss and drop Chicago to 27-16.

For a team that prides itself on its pitching and timely hitting, this losing streak is a wake-up call. But with Imanaga dealing like this, the Cubs know they're never out of a game. It's just a matter of getting the bats going and giving their ace the run support he deserves.