SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga made his first Cactus League start of the year Wednesday against the Giants. But because he threw a simulated game last week on a back field at the team’s spring-training complex, the Cubs were treating it like his second.

“I think today in the first inning, my output was a little too much,” Imanaga said through interpreter Edwin Stanberry after throwing 2⅔ innings in the 4-4 tie. “Then I feel like in the second and third inning it dropped a little bit. So if I can maintain that output from the first inning as a starting pitcher, that’s my goal.”

He repeated a theme from his sim game, when he was also combatting the temptation to overthrow. Imanaga built up to 57 pitches Wednesday and allowed three runs, including a two-run homer by Casey Schmitt in the second inning, and threw a wild pitch. He had six strikeouts.

Imanaga is also focusing on honing his secondary pitches.

“I feel like there were spots today where I could have thrown my slider,” he said. “But even today, besides the last pitch — the splitter up — overall, the splitter felt really good.”

The lefty is scheduled to pitch in the first game of the Tokyo Series, which is less than three weeks away.

Camp cuts begin

The Cubs announced their first round of roster cuts, focusing on young players sidelined by injury. They optioned outfield prospect Owen Caissie to Triple-A Iowa, and they returned three non-roster invitees to minor-league camp: outfielder Brett Bateman and right-handed pitchers Brandon Birdsell and Antonio Santos .

Caissie was out with a strained left adductor, Bateman was scheduled to undergo surgery on his right hamate and Birdsell was dealing with a lat injury.

The moves put the roster at 59 players: 33 pitchers, six catchers, 12 infielders and eight outfielders.

Cubs 4, Giants 4

Non-roster invitee Greg Allen tied the game with one swing of the bat in the eighth inning. His three-run blast put him in an eight-way tie for the most homers this spring. No Cub has hit more than one.