Cade Horton pitched 6 1/3 strong innings to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 10-2 victory over the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field on Saturday. The 24-year-old right-hander struck out four, walked one and allowed four hits in his first start of the season. Horton's efficient outing helped secure the Cubs' first win amid high expectations.
At Wrigley Field, Cade Horton made an impressive return to the Chicago Cubs' rotation, working quickly and efficiently against the Washington Nationals. The righty was perfect through the first three innings on just 28 pitches before James Wood hit a solo home run in the fourth. Horton scattered four hits overall, generating 10 ground-ball outs including two inning-ending double plays, before exiting after 75 pitches in the seventh to a standing ovation from the crowd. Cubs manager Craig Counsell noted Horton could have continued but opted for caution. 'It was really an outing that we saw a bunch last year,' Counsell said, praising his command in the strike zone and low pitch counts. The Cubs provided ample run support, scoring four runs in the second inning and four more in the sixth, highlighted by Ian Happ's three-run homer. Happ lauded Horton's demeanor: 'I’m impressed with the attitude and the demeanor, and the ability to throw strikes... He has really good stuff. It’s tough to square up.' Horton leaned on his four-seamer, changeup and sweeper primarily, mixing in sinker and curveball to induce contact. This performance extends his franchise-record streak of 13 consecutive starts allowing no more than two runs, surpassing Ed Reulbach's mark from 1909. His 1.75 ERA in his first 12 home starts ranks as the lowest for a Cubs pitcher at Wrigley since George Pierce in 1913. Following a strong finish last season—1.03 ERA after the All-Star break and National League Rookie of the Year runner-up—Horton remains a cornerstone. 'He’s going to be a huge part of it,' Happ said. Nationals manager Blake Butera acknowledged, 'He's such a good pitcher... big stuff. He's a competitor.' With recent extensions for Pete Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner, plus a stable infield of Alex Bregman, Dansby Swanson and Hoerner, the Cubs are building around talents like Horton and Michael Busch.
