ATLANTA -- At the rate things are going, there could be a fun debate over which game Cubs rookie Cade Horton should be handed the ball in a postseason series. Over the past two months, Horton has not only been one of Chicago’s best arms, but one of the top starters in Major League Baseball.
That continued on Tuesday night, when Horton worked into the seventh inning to guide the Cubs to a 6-1 win over the Braves at Truist Park. After spinning five no-hit frames in his previous outing against Atlanta on Wednesday, the young right-hander was able to limit the damage of the few jams he encountered this time around.
Before October arrives, the other debate surrounding Horton will be where he falls in the race for National League Rookie of the Year.
“Look, Cade, he deserves that recognition,” manager Craig Counsell said. “And he absolutely should be in that conversation. And he’s absolutely deserving. That’s what he’s earned. And there’s no question about it -- he’s earned it.”
The win pulled the Cubs within 6 1/2 games of the National League Central-leading Brewers, who dropped a 5-4 decision to the Rangers. Chicago remains in command of the NL’s top Wild Card spot.
Heading into Tuesday night, the 24-year-old Horton’s 1.23 ERA since July 1 led all Major League pitchers who had thrown at least 50 innings. The names behind him on the list included Trevor Rogers (1.34), Nathan Eovaldi (1.56), Paul Skenes (1.75), Freddy Peralta (1.92) and Tarik Skubal (2.03).
When Ronald Acuña Jr. led off the third inning with a double, that snapped a streak of 23 consecutive batters faced for Horton without allowing a hit, dating back to Aug. 29. Acuña came around to score on a single by Jurickson Profar, but that was as far as the Braves’ lineup got against the Cubs’ rookie in his 6 1/3 innings.
“Really, I just wanted to attack these guys,” Horton said. “Just put the ball in a good location and trust my defense. There’s a lot of gold out there, so it’s just being able to let them hit it to somebody and keep moving.”
With his showing, Horton now has a 1.25 ERA in his past 12 starts -- a stretch during which he has allowed two or fewer runs in 11 outings.
“It’s been such a pleasure to play behind him,” center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said. “He’s obviously commanding the zone and throwing everything with conviction. But looking at it from center field every day, it’s very cool seeing some of the shapes.”
Crow-Armstrong helped spark the offense by reaching base three times, driving in two runs and stealing a pair of bases to up his total to 34 thefts on the season. The Cubs finished 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position, including a bases-clearing single in the eighth by Matt Shaw that capped a four-run outburst.
It was more than sufficient in helping Horton improve to 10-4 with a 2.70 ERA in 21 games (20 starts). Across 110 innings, the righty has amassed 89 strikeouts against 32 walks with a .223 opponents’ average, while working with workload limitations.
Horton has taken those restrictions as a challenge, focusing on being aggressive in and around the strike zone. Against Atlanta on Tuesday, he had a 70% strike rate (61 out of 87 pitches) and enticed contact, ending with no walks and only two strikeouts.
“It was more of the same. It was just a really, really good outing. Really efficient,” Counsell said. “He’s just comfortable attacking inside the strike zone and forcing guys to swing. And they don’t necessarily get great contact. It’s really good stuff. He’s kind of stepping up at a really big time for us.”
In the process, Horton’s stock keeps rising in the NL Rookie of the Year race.
In an MLB.com poll this week, Horton was second to Braves catcher Drake Baldwin in the NL conversation. Isaac Collins and Caleb Durbin of the Brewers were next on the list. Horton should have three more starts down the stretch to further strengthen his case.
Horton is more focused on the postseason than awards season.
“It’s really cool, but that’s not the end of the world,” Horton said about being mentioned for the award. “I would rather win a World Series than win Rookie of the Year. So, it’s just continuing to block out that stuff and find ways to go out there every fifth day, and give our team a chance to win.”