The Cubs head into an off day with a missed opportunity to secure a sweep against the Atlanta Braves.
They won’t have to wait long to get another chance to stack wins versus the struggling Braves as the Cubs soon head to Atlanta for a three-game series that starts Monday. Up first: The Washington Nationals, with the third-worst record in MLB, come to Wrigley Field for a weekend series.
The Sox wrap up a stretch of 17 games in 17 days this weekend with three contests against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. The Sox went 7-6 in the first 13 games of the stretch.
Every Thursday during the regular season, Tribune baseball writers will provide an update on what happened — and what’s ahead — for the Cubs and White Sox.
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Cade Horton building case for NL Rookie of the Year
Horton doesn’t appear fazed by the pitch-count limitations the Cubs are putting on him this season.
Held to around 75 pitches per start to ensure he stays healthy after a limited, injury-plagued workload in 2024, Horton keeps rolling knowing his efficiency will determine how deep into a game he pitches. The 24-year-old right-hander impressed again Wednesday night, tossing five no-hit innings and striking out six against the Atlanta Braves in the Cubs’ 5-1 loss.
“I feel like I’ve gotten to a position where I know where my stuff plays, and really just having conviction,” Horton said. “As soon as I let go the ball, I have no control of the result, and so it’s just all about taking the result out of it and making a pitch like I would in a bullpen.”
Following a 10-pitch, one-out walk to Matt Olson in the first inning, Horton retired the next 14 batters.
“He’s attacking the strike zone, that’s what he does, and it’s quality stuff inside the strike zone, which is getting outs in the strike zone,” manager Craig Counsell said. “He doesn’t have to rely on chase, and that’s a good pitcher. We made a couple nice plays behind him, and he was great tonight.”
Horton’s performance — a 2.78 ERA in 20 games — should earn him a long look for the National League Rookie of the Year award. He has good competition, including Milwaukee Brewers starter Chad Patrick (3.60 ERA in 21 games) and outfielder Isaac Collins (.276/.373/.426 and 127 wRC+ in 114 games) and Braves catcher Drake Baldwin (.283/.356/.462 and 129 wRC+ in 102 games).
His total innings ultimately could work against Horton, but the Cubs have been keeping the big picture in mind with him and his ability potentially to pitch valuable innings in the postseason.
In his last nine starts, Horton owns a 0.77 ERA. Since 1920, only four other Cubs starters have posted a lower ERA in a nine-start stretch during a single season: Jake Arrieta in 2015, Rick Reuschel in 1977, Bill Lee in 1938 and Hippo Vaughn in 1920. Meanwhile, Horton’s eight starts of at least five scoreless innings dating to June 1 are the most in the majors. Horton should garner more attention if he keeps this up over the final four weeks of the regular season.
“It’s tough for me because I feel like I’m supposed to go out there and do that, like, that’s my job,” Horton said of his performance this season. “But also at the end of the day, it is really cool that I put up those numbers, but I’ve got to start in six days and face the same lineup, and so go out there and do it again. Just never really getting complacent.”
Sox have momentum in mind for final month
The Sox entered September with the worst record in the American League. While they are well out of contention, manager Will Venable pointed out the mindset the team carried into the final month of the season.
“Externally, you’ll hear about meaningful games in September and how nice it is to play meaningful games,” Venable said. “And to us, these are meaningful games.
“Certainly you’re in a position where you can play spoiler against some other team, but for us, it’s really about us and regardless of what our win-loss record is, we really have created some nice momentum here and for us to carry that into the offseason is huge. Certainly for individuals, but of course for us collectively as well.”
Venable identified “just really simple things” for the Sox to do over the final 20-plus games.
“The same things (everyone has) heard all year between fastball performance for our hitters, running hard, covering first base, backing up bases,” Venable said. “Just the real core fundamental things we just want to make sure that we do to finish strong, on top of all the individual things that guys are doing on the field, the things guys are doing off the field.
“We have a really young group, and as these guys are experiencing a full major-league season for the first time, there are things that happen in the weight room and training room that we need to really stay dialed in on to finish strong too.”
That young group includes shortstop Colson Montgomery, who said the first key to the final month is remaining healthy.
“I think that’s everybody’s goal, to finish out the year and stay healthy and kind of get some momentum going into the offseason and into next year,” Montgomery said. “Playing with these guys every single day, getting that chemistry down and get ready for next year.”
Number of the week: 10
Montgomery hit 10 home runs in August, becoming just the second rookie in Sox history with 10-plus home runs in a month. Montgomery joined José Abreu, who accomplished the feat in April and June 2014.
Week ahead: Cubs
- Thursday: off
- Friday: vs. Nationals, 1:20 p.m., Marquee
- Saturday: vs. Nationals, 1:20 p.m., Marquee
- Sunday: vs. Nationals, 1:20 p.m., Marquee
- Monday: at Braves, 6:15 p.m., Marquee
- Tuesday: at Braves, 6:15 p.m., Marquee
- Wednesday: at Braves, 6:15 p.m., Marquee
The Cubs are honoring their 2025 Hall of Fame inductees, Sammy Sosa and Derrek Lee, this weekend.
The organization will recognize each player’s memorable Cubs career on specific days, culminating Sunday when Sosa and Lee are honored on the field and receive their blue Hall of Fame jackets. Friday’s game will be dedicated to Sosa and Saturday’s to Lee on his 50th birthday.
Sosa and Lee are scheduled to throw out a ceremonial first pitch and sing during the seventh-inning stretch Sunday. Cubs fans can view their newly unveiled Hall of Fame plaques at the bleacher concourse during Sunday’s game. Memorabilia from Lee’s and Sosa’s playing careers also will be displayed at Gallagher Way beginning Friday through the end of the regular season only on game days.
Week ahead: White Sox
- Thursday: at Twins, 6:40 p.m.
- Friday: at Tigers, 5:40 p.m., CHSN
- Saturday: at Tigers, 5:10 p.m., CHSN
- Sunday: at Tigers, 12:40 p.m., CHSN
- Monday: off
- Tuesday: vs. Rays, 6:40 p.m., CHSN
- Wednesday: vs. Rays, 6:40 p.m., CHSN
Sox relievers have seen plenty of work.
The bullpen entered Tuesday ranked second in the majors in innings (555). The group was ninth in strikeouts (518) but last in saves (19), first in losses (41) and tied for 12th in blown saves (21).
Asked last week about the offseason strategy to building a bullpen, general manager Chris Getz said there are several areas to assess.
“What’s available on the free agent market, both major league and minor league free agents, you look at trade opportunities, and then, of course, you look at internal options,” Getz said. “You want to build as much depth and versatility as you can. To navigate a full season is not easy with just the 13-man staff. Obviously starters are mixed in there with a relief group and it takes a lot of arms to put ourselves in a good position to win on a nightly basis.
“So we’re open to different ideas. Since Grant (Taylor’s) been up here, we’ve been able to settle arms and roles that have been perhaps more optimal for them and for us, but we’re going to continue to look for opportunities to improve this team and add when appropriate.”
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“Those are the kind of scenarios where something you don’t really plan on happening, happens, and you just want to make sure that you have players that could could fill in. So it’s worst-case-scenario planning, but you still have to do it, and still have to plan for it. It’s just in case stuff.” — Counsell on the Cubs signing former major-leaguers, outfielder Billy Hamilton and lefty Austin Gomber, to Triple-A Iowa.
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