CHICAGO — Cade Horton was introduced to the long, historic rivalry between the Cubs and White Sox for the first Major League start of his career. Working in Wrigley Field’s rowdy atmosphere for the first time, the Cubs rookie turned in a solid outing that offered flashes of his potential.
In a 13-3 win for the North Siders on Friday, Horton built up to a career high in pitches and limited the White Sox to a pair of homers by Miguel Vargas. The rookie righty had all the support he needed from Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who belted a homer, churned out four hits and notched six RBIs.
In the second inning, Crow-Armstrong helped capitalize on a rough defensive stretch for the White Sox by launching his 12th home run of the season into the seats down the right-field line. The Cubs center fielder’s three-run blast off Shane Smith was only the second homer allowed by the White Sox righty this season.
Crow-Armstrong joined Willson Contreras as the only Cubs players to have at least four hits and six RBIs in a game against the White Sox. On May 11, 2018, Contreras had two homers, four hits and seven RBIs against the South Siders.
Horton picked up the second win of his MLB career in his first start for his five-inning effort, which featured 79 pitches, matching his most in a single outing since the Cubs picked him in the first round of the 2022 Draft. The righty struck out two, issued no walks and scattered seven hits.
