Rookie Cade Horton delivers the Chicago Cubs to the verge of securing a playoff spot in 4-1 win

PITTSBURGH — Cade Horton wanted this.

Ever since the Chicago Cubs drafted him in the first round three years ago, Horton envisioned helping them get back to the postseason and experience October baseball. His dominant rookie season has played a key role in positioning the Cubs for the playoffs with less than two weeks remaining in the regular season.

In a marquee matchup opposite National League Cy Young Award front-runner Paul Skenes, Horton held the Pittsburgh Pirates to one run and three hits in five innings. The Cubs tallied 14 hits en route to a 4-1 victory. The bullpen was again brilliant, combining to toss four shutout innings in which they allowed just one baserunner, didn’t walk a batter and struck out six.

“I love pitching in high-stakes moments,” Horton said. “I feel like that’s something I’ve loved doing my whole career, and so it’s a lot of fun to go out there and compete when you know you’re in the thick of it.”

The Cubs (87-64) can clinch a playoff spot on Wednesday with a win. It would be their first postseason appearance since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and their first in a full season since 2018.

“It’s that kind of time of the year, so we’re excited about it, we’re ready for it,” Michael Busch said after hitting a home run and two doubles in the win. “We’ve still got a week-and-a-half of regular-season baseball, but we’re excited about the push and the team that we have.”

Tuesday marked the second time Skenes and Horton have squared off this season, and the 24-year-old right-hander keeps stepping up during his rookie campaign when the Cubs go up against tough starters. In their two starts Tuesday and June 13, Horton (10 2/3 innings, six hits, one run, two walks and 10 strikeouts) has arguably out-pitched Skenes (8 2/3 innings, 11 hits, three runs, five walks and 11 strikeouts).

Coming into the game, Skenes had allowed only one run in the first inning this year through 30 starts. The Cubs put up two runs in the opening frame on Busch’s home run and Pete Crow-Armstrong’s RBI single. The Cubs forced Skenes to throw 33 pitches in the first, leading the Pirates to start warming a reliever in the bullpen, though they left bases loaded.

The Cubs ended Skenes’ night with two outs in the fourth inning after Nico Hoerner legged out an infield single — one of his three hits to raise his season average to .301 — to put runners on first and second as they led the Pirates 3-1.

Horton’s pitching line was again impressive. It was telling how he handled an uneven tempo featuring a 27-pitch first inning — and extended breaks in the dugout when the Cubs offensively had long innings — yet still stuck to an aggressive mindset.

“I’m glad he had the inning, they did a really good job extending at-bats in the first inning,” manager Craig Counsell said. “They laid off some pitches. They fouled off a ton of pitches. He gave up a run (on Oneil Cruz’s triple), but he limited the damage. That’s an inning you’re going to have to go through.”

Horton owns a major-league best 0.93 ERA since the All-Star break (11 starts) with 15 walks and 52 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings. He lowered his season ERA to 2.66 in 115 innings/22 outings and is positioned to make big starts in the postseason.

“Cade’s had a brilliant second half, there’s no question about it,” Counsell said. “I mean, it’s been a brilliant second half. There’s nothing you can’t like about it. He’s been as good as anybody in the game.”