MWL South Bend Cubs

Horton Untouchable in Cubs' 1-0 Shutout

June 7, 2023 - Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release


SOUTH BEND, IN - Cade Horton picked up his first career win going a career-high five innings and registering a career-best 10 strikeouts in another South Bend 1-0 victory, their second in the last six games.

The Cubs scored the lone run of the game in the second inning after back-to-back doubles from Kevin Made and Yohendrick Pinango, Made would score on a Luis Verdugo sac-fly. Made could only move up 90 feet on Pinango's double as he went back to the bag and as the ball dropped in left-center after a miscommunication from Clark Elliott and Junior Pérez. Verdugo's sac-fly was came on a stellar diving catch in the alley Jonny Butler in right field.

One run was all that was required on a night in with the Cubs used five pitchers and every single one of them that graced the mound had their 'A' stuff.

Horton set the tone from the jump, striking out the side in the first inning, including the Oakland A's last two first round picks in Max Muncy and Daniel Susac. Then the right-hander punched out the first two batters in the second inning. Horton K's a career high eight batters two starts ago, then set a new mark with nine last week, and then surpassed that amount today. In his last two starts combined Horton has logged 9 innings, allowing no earned runs, striking out 19 and walking just one batter. If you go back one more outing that's 13 innings, two earned runs only, 27 K's and still just one walk.

To say that Horton has settled into High-A baseball would be the understatement of the season. I cannot recall seeing a pitcher as dominant over a three-game stretch as what we've seen from the number seven pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Horton utilized his four-pitch mix exceptionally tonight and maybe the most eye-popping thing is actually just how easy it works. Cade is stoic on the mound, he just goes about his business. It truly just looks like another stroll through the park. That might be the most demoralizing aspect for the opposition; Horton is going to dominate you, make you look silly, and barely even look like he's breaking a sweat in the process.

In relief Adam Laskey tossed perfect inning on 10 pitches in the sixth, Eduarniel Nunez got a double-play to hand a zero in the seventh, Joe Nahas threw just nine pitches in a scoreless eighth, and Zac Leigh dazzled again to get the save in the ninth.

All in all it might've collectively been the most impressive game pitching wise the Cubs have produced in 2023.

The lead was only one run from the second inning on but it just never felt like the Lugnuts could find their footing against any South Bend arm.

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