Cade Horton shines in a duel with Paul Skenes, but the Cubs fall to the Pirates 2-1 in 10 innings on June 13. Recap the extra-inning heartbreaker.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a night that offered both a tantalizing glimpse of the future and a painful reminder of the present. In a classic pitcher's duel at the Friendly Confines, rookie Cade Horton looked every bit the future ace, but his stellar performance wasn't enough as the Chicago Cubs dropped a 2-1 gut-punch to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 10 innings.
5 2/3 shutout innings, three hits allowed, and a duel with one of baseball's most electric arms. Cade Horton has arrived.
All eyes were on the mound Friday night as Cubs top prospect Cade Horton faced off against Pirates phenom Paul Skenes, and neither disappointed. Horton was masterful, navigating the Pirates lineup for 5 2/3 scoreless innings while allowing just three hits. He matched Skenes pitch for pitch, who himself tossed five shutout frames with five strikeouts. For a frustrating night, the biggest takeaway was clear: Horton belongs in the big leagues. His poise and stuff were on full display, a major bright spot in an otherwise tough loss.
Once the starters departed, the game became a tense battle of the bullpens. The Pirates broke the scoreless tie in the 8th, capitalizing on a costly throwing error by Brad Keller following a chopper from Oneil Cruz. The Cubs showed life in the bottom half, with Dansby Swanson manufacturing the tying run by driving in new acquisition Kyle Tucker on a fielder's choice. But the magic ran out in the 10th. Drew Pomeranz (2-1) couldn't escape a bases-loaded jam, surrendering the go-ahead sacrifice fly to Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who tormented the Cubs all night. David Bednar then shut the door for his 10th save, sealing a tough loss for the North Siders.
A loss like this stings, but Horton's performance is a perfect microcosm of the Cubs' organizational strength. Even after trading top prospect Cam Smith to acquire Kyle Tucker, the farm system remains an embarrassment of riches. The Cubs still boast a league-leading seven Top 100 prospects, with six of them being position players. As farm director Jason Kanzler noted, the depth at the upper levels is a huge asset. It means more Cade Hortons are on the way, and it gives the front office immense flexibility to either call up reinforcements or swing another impact trade before the deadline.
This one will leave a bad taste, no doubt. Wasting a brilliant rookie start is never easy to swallow, and the offense needs to find a way to capitalize on these opportunities. But as the sting of the loss fades, remember what we saw tonight. We saw a potential future ace in Cade Horton, a product of a system that remains one of baseball's best. The building blocks for sustained success are clearly in place, both now and for years to come.
