Justin Steele made history at Wrigley Field on Friday with an impressive complete game as the Chicago Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Angels 5-1. Steele allowed just two hits and pitched for a 2.95 ERA to improve his record to 1-3 on the season.
In his first win in 13 starts, the left-handed Steele was dominant on the mound, going the full nine innings while throwing 95 pitches, striking out seven and walking just two.
The crowd of 36,948 was kept on the edge of their seats during the ninth inning when Chicago Cubs manager David Ross let Steele pitch the rest of the way instead of bringing in a closer. The game ended with a grounder to the infield by Angels’ third baseman Brandon Drury, who had no choice but to retire, clearing the way for Steele to embrace catcher Tomas Nido in the middle of the diamond.
“It was special,” Justin Steele said. “Wrigley is a special place. The fans always know what’s going on. They knew it was a special moment for me, for me. The field, the crowd and the energy, everything behind me, it’s really special. It’s really hard to put into words how special the fans are at Wrigley.”
Justin Steele‘s complete game was the first by a Cubs pitcher since Marcus Stroman’s performance on May 29, 2023. Since the beginning of 2017, only nine Cubs pitchers have reached this difficult milestone.
While complete games may be rare these days, Justin Steele’s fascination with this type of accomplishment was evident when the statue of Cubs legend Fergie Jenkins was unveiled outside Wrigley Field two years ago. At the time, Steele expressed his desire to pitch a complete game “just to be able to say I did it, because it’s so rare these days.”
“It’s something I wanted to do,” Justin Steele said after his win. “I think I said last year that one of my goals for the end of the season was to get a complete game.”
“I wasn’t able to get it [last year], but today I was able to get it. It’s definitely something to cross off my to-do list as far as my career is concerned. It was something I wanted to do,” the pitcher added.
The whole team supported Justin Steele
Justin Steele’s remarkable performance would not have been possible without valuable offensive support from his teammates. Japanese outfielder Seiya Suzuki homered for the second straight game, driving in two runs in the first inning.
Ian Happ also singled in the third and fifth innings, driving in a total of five runs in the last two games. Catcher Tomas Nido also drove in a run in the sixth inning.
On the other side of the ball, the Angels struggled to find the offensive rhythm that characterized their season-high six-game winning streak. Starter Griffin Canning lasted just 4 1/3 innings on the mound, allowing four runs and six hits.
Despite the offensive drought, Angelinos manager Phil Nevin was pleased with his team’s effort during the series at Wrigley Field.
“We did some good things in this ballpark. We didn’t have a lot of luck on the field, but you have to give the Cubs credit for how they played,” Nevin said in a postgame press conference.
The Cubs, who had lost eight of their previous ten games, finally found victory in back-to-back games against the Angels. Justin Steele’s performance rekindled hope on the team and in the ballpark, proving that with a little perseverance and effort, the Cubs have what it takes to compete with any team in Major League Baseball.
“It’s Cubs baseball,” third baseman Miles Mastrobuoni said. “This locker room has a lot of talent. When we put things together, I’d bet this team will match up with anybody.”
For Justin Steele and the Cubs, this complete game is not only an important step on the road to the postseason, but also a personal accomplishment that the 26-year-old pitcher will carry with pride for the rest of his career.
With the second half of the season just beginning, there is a chance that the Cubs could string together a winning streak that would allow them to climb up the standings. And if that happens, Steele’s complete game could be the catalyst that sparks a successful season for the Cubs that won’t stop dreaming.
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