Cubs lose pitchers' duel, but Cade Horton continues to show he's unafraid of the big moment

New York Times

14 hours ago

CHICAGO — Even before the game started, Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell wasn't interested in moral victories. In a fun matchup of two young, highly talented starters, Counsell wanted to add to his team's win total.
So, when asking him what would account for success against Paul Skenes, one of the best pitchers in the game, the answer was obvious.
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'Winning,' Counsell said. 'What else is there? We can make up a story. We can make up a narrative. But if we don't win, it's not going to be a good narrative. That's what we're trying to do.'
The Cubs couldn't accomplish that primary goal Friday afternoon, as they fell to the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 in extra innings. But for those eager for a pitching duel, the buildup to Friday's matinee at Wrigley Field lived up to the hype.
On an overcast, misty day on the North Side, nearly 40,000 fans showed up to watch Skenes take on Cubs rookie phenom Cade Horton. The matchup was much-anticipated and delivered.
Perhaps it wasn't an old-fashioned, low-scoring affair where each starter goes deep into the game. Those are rare in this era of baseball. But if this is the modern-day version of an ace-off, it was surely entertaining.
Skenes is a Cy Young favorite who debuted just a year ago and has quickly become arguably the best arm in the game. He delivered five shutout frames, striking out five Cubs and walking two while allowing just four hits.
Horton hasn't reached ace status yet, but he outperformed Skenes on Friday, tossing 5 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out four, walking one and allowing just three hits. His stuff is nasty with a cut-ride heater that sits at about 97 mph. He uses it with a pair of plus breaking balls, including one of the better sweepers in the game, and a developing changeup.
'He's pitching really well,' Counsell said. 'He's locked in, 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 next time.'
Horton dropped his ERA on the season to 3.47 in seven games, and he's averaging more than five innings per outing. His strikeout rate (19 percent) probably needs to rise and likely will as he continues to get more experience. His low walk rate (5.2 percent) is incredibly impressive for such an inexperienced arm.
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But Horton's bulldog mentality and ultra-competitiveness are what stand out to those around him.
'I think he has a great mentality,' Ian Happ said. 'He has a great mound presence and the right attitude for it. The ability to throw strikes and fill up the zone is super important. It allows him to get some length into games. He did a great job of just making them beat him. The stuff is really good. So the stuff will play as long as he's in the zone.'
Horton has pitched in the College World Series. He made his big-league debut in New York against a talented Mets team, and his first start at Wrigley was at a packed house for the crosstown matchup against the Chicago White Sox. He has grown accustomed to these big moments and seems to relish them.
'It's fun,' Horton said. 'Iron sharpens iron. So just being able to compete against him was fun. Hopefully, we're doing it for a lot of years.'
Horton knew he'd have to be on his game because runs would be hard to come by against Skenes. And that proved to be the case. The Cubs pushed Skenes' pitch count high and worked good at-bats, a small moral victory that signifies a good process. As with Tarik Skubal a week ago, Counsell was pleased with the at-bats against a top-tier pitcher.
'Frankly, even better,' Counsell said, comparing it to the game against the Detroit Tigers last Friday. 'You get him out after five innings. We did have some scoring opportunities. But they make it hard. You get some runners on, and it's still tough. We had some long at-bats in this case — maybe a little different than in Detroit. But you gotta get hits to win.'
Against Skenes and the Pirates bullpen, the Cubs' bats couldn't come up with the big hit, going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. In the fifth, with Happ on first and two outs, Kyle Tucker drove a double into the left-center-field gap. Happ was looking to score, but Oneil Cruz made a good throw to Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who made the relay to Henry Davis, and Happ was out easily at the plate.
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'The Tucker double, I thought they got a pretty good kick off the wall, and then the shortstop made a really nice play on the short-hop throw and made a nice throw,' Counsell said. 'Credit to their defense on that one.'
Hitting with runners in scoring position can go in waves sometimes. On the season, the Cubs have the second-highest batting average and wRC+ in those situations, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers. In their last 10 games, they're hitting .164 with runners in scoring position. Those include games against Skenes, Skubal, MacKenzie Gore, Zack Wheeler, Jack Flaherty and Jesús Luzardo, all of whom are pitching incredibly well this season.
And it's such a small sample that it shouldn't sway opinion about what this team can do. One good game can shift the narrative. One strong series and it's just a blip in a long season.
Ultimately, the most important part of Friday's game, beyond the outcome, is the continued development of Horton. In a season in which the Cubs have a strong chance to not only make the postseason but also push deep into October, their primary weakness appears to be the rotation.
But Horton is emerging as a key piece to the puzzle. There's a good chance some big moments will be coming for Horton this summer and even in the fall. The spotlight is certain to be on the rookie.
'I'm not scared of the moment,' Horton said. 'I love the moment.'