CHICAGO \u2014 A fast start by the White Sox on Friday spoiled any thoughts the Cubs had of kicking off the second series of the Crosstown Classic in strong fashion.<\/p>\n
An early threat by the South Siders on Saturday threatened to unravel things again.<\/p>\n
But Cade Horton<\/a> showed the moxie he\u2019s developed over the last few outings \u2013 one that\u2019s grown ever since his clunker in Houston \u2013 and turned in one of his best starts of the year, sparking the Cubs to a 6-1 win over the White Sox at Rate Field<\/a>.<\/p>\n More importantly, though, the performance by Horton showed his continued development at the major-league level, something that will benefit both him and his team as they chase down a division title and a deep run into the playoffs.<\/p>\n Horton allowed a one-out walk to Chase Meidroth and a single to Andrew Benintendi that brought some early energy to the split crowd of 38,432 at Rate Field. Horton, though, didn\u2019t panic.<\/p>\n \u201cI just feel like, every time I go out there, I try to just execute a pitch and really slow the game down,\u201d the Cubs rookie and former top pitching prospect said.<\/p>\n That mindset worked. Horton induced an inning-ending, 6-4-3 double play that was the jumping off point to 6.1 scoreless innings in the win.<\/p>\n Baseball is an everyday game with plenty of failure. Have a bad day? Turn the page because there\u2019s a game tomorrow to do it all over again. Of course, that mentality is easier said than done. But for the rookie, he has the veteran-esque knack to be able to do just that.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not going to let the previous pitch affect the next pitch \u2013 and that\u2019s a real skill,\u201d Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. \u201cI\u2019m saying that as a compliment, because that\u2019s hard to do in this game. I think Cade\u2019s excellent at it, and it contributes to his success.\u201d<\/p>\n That confidence began to bud deep in the heart of Texas after a stinker against the Astros<\/a> \u2013 Horton allowed seven earned runs on eight hits, walked four and pitched just four innings, seeing his ERA jump to 4.80 and leaving a thin rotation with more question marks than solutions.<\/p>\n \u201cI got my a\u2013 kicked today,\u201d Horton said in front of his locker in the visiting clubhouse at Daikin Park<\/a>. \u201cIt was the first time I wasn\u2019t able to slow the game down. I let my emotions get the best of me today, and I have to learn from it and move on.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been in this spot before, and you have to take it for a grain of salt and learn from it and move on.\u201d<\/p>\n Boy, did he ever. Since that low point, Horton has turned in scoreless outings in three of his four starts and has a 1.52 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in that span.<\/p>\n \u201cYou gain confidence through this. You believe in your stuff. You know it\u2019s good enough,\u201d Counsell said. \u201cYou have outings, like the last seven to 10 starts, and they\u2019re not all good, but you take what you need to learn from the ones that aren\u2019t so good. And there\u2019s stuff you learn from even the ones like tonight.<\/p>\n \u201cHe continues to do that, and that\u2019s what kind of keeps pushing him forward and keeps getting him better.\u201d<\/p>\n What\u2019s changed since that outing in Houston?<\/p>\n \u201cHaving conviction in my fastball, really,\u201d Horton said. \u201cBeing able to throw it to the target and have conviction behind it. And I think that\u2019s been the biggest thing for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Cade Horton didn’t feel he had the best command of his offspeed.<\/p>\n He took a shutout into the 7th without allowing a BB \ud83d\ude33 pic.twitter.com\/jG6PeKkuEp<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) July 27, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n The Cubs will almost certainly add pitching depth, especially in the rotation, before Thursday\u2019s trading deadline, and they could have a couple of internal additions in Javier Assad<\/a> and Jameson Taillon nearing returns, too,<\/a> which could help the right-hander.<\/p>\n Horton, after all, pitched just 34.1 innings last season due to injuries and entered 2025 with just 205.1 innings under his belt since 2022 across college and the minor leagues. So the Cubs might want to play it safe with their young pitcher and manage his workload.<\/p>\n Regardless, Horton\u2019s development is massive for the club.<\/p>\n \u201cI think his mound presence is really impressive. Just his ability to stay in the moment and not let something rattle him.\u201d<\/p>\n Ian Happ on Cade Horton \ud83d\udd25 pic.twitter.com\/awnZdDWDkd<\/a><\/p>\n