The Chicago Cubs lost a rough one on Friday, dropping a 2-1 nail-biter in the 10th inning.
It was especially rough since it was actually a winnable contest against Pirates ace Paul Skenes, arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball.
Fans would’ve been forgiven if they had simply chalked up Friday’s game as an “L” beforehand and focused their hopes on Saturday. The 23-year-old Pittsburgh phenom came into the contest with a miniscule 1.88 ERA and a reputation for shutting down the most potent of offenses.
And, Friday, he was every bit as tough as expected, shutting the North Siders out over 5 innings pitched.
Going toe-to-toe with Paul Skenes
But the Cubs actually had a chance to win that game because rookie Cade Horton was going toe-to-toe with Skenes, matching– and surpassing– the top pitcher’s top-tier performance.
In 5.2 innings pitched, the 23-year-old Horton allowed just 3 hits and 1 walk while also shutting out his opposition.
In just his seventh major league appearance, matched against a legitimate Cy Young-level star, Chicago’s top pitching prospect looked like an ace, himself. And that leads to the possibility that Horton has found his big league stride and has taken that big step forward in his development, moving towards full self-actualization as a high-end starting pitcher.
Cade Horton wants all the smoke
“It’s fun. Iron sharpens iron,” Horton told reporters after Friday’s game, referring to his duel with Skenes. “Being able to compete against him was really fun. And hopefully, we’re doing it for a lot of years…I’m not scared of the moment. I love the moment — just going out there and competing.”
The young pitcher’s “want all the smoke” attitude has been duly noted since he arrived in the majors in early May, rushed up into service after Cubs ace Shota Imanaga was placed on the IL due to a hamstring injury. At the time, Horton was killing it at Triple-A, posting a 1.24 ERA in 6 starts for the Iowa Cubs. If not for the Imanaga injury, he might still be killing it in Triple-A.
But fate is fate and, ready or not, Horton’s time would be now. He’s responded well, inching forward in his development as a pitcher and currently posting a 3.47 ERA in 36.1 big league innings.
“He’s pitching really well,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told media after Friday’s performance. “He’s locked in and he’s delivering good outings. He’s efficient. His stuff plays in the strike zone, which is such an important thing for a young pitcher to feel. I look forward to giving him the ball the next time.”
The rough road here
The young talent’s time in the pitching spotlight, dating back to college, has not afforded him an easy road to the top.
Selected by the Cubs in the first round in 2022, the decision raised eyebrows because, at the time, he wasn’t too far removed from the 2021 Tommy John surgery that shut him down as a college freshman in Oklahoma.
Last season, his year ended in late May due to a subscapularis strain in his right shoulder.
Up until the emergency call-up in May, pretty much everybody in the Cubs organization was talking up Horton’s ability, but playing down the possibility that he’d be playing a big role in the Cubs starting rotation this season. He had just logged too few pro innings and was coming off a serious season-ending injury.
He’s definitely been a pleasant surprise for a Cubs team dealing with a decimated starting rotation. The best part is that he actually appears to be trending upward in terms of his performances.
There’s no doubt that the Cubs have needed what Horton has given them. The team is hoping that Friday’s outing was just the tip of the iceberg.
The Cubs are doing one thing nobody else can vs Paul Skenes
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