There was no sweep to start the second half for the Cubs, but they got an excellent performance from rookie right-hander Cade Horton that might go down as more valuable as he continues to grow as a big-league pitcher.
Matched up against All-Star left-hander Garrett Crochet, Horton didn’t just do what Crochet did, he was arguably better, holding the Red Sox scoreless and to only two hits in 5⅔ innings Sunday. Crochet lasted longer, completing six innings, allowing a run and eight hits.
“When you’ve got Crochet over there, you know there’s probably not going to be a lot of runs scored,” Horton said. “[I was] just trying to navigate that and slow the game down.”
As good as the dueling starters were, the game was decided after they departed, with the Cubs’ bullpen absorbing a rare beating as the Red Sox found their power strokes late. Relief arms Ryan Pressly, Drew Pomeranz and Ethan Roberts were tagged for six runs and surrendered three homers in the Cubs’ 6-1 defeat.
But Horton’s performance couldn’t have been far from the wildest dreams of Cubs brass when the decision was made to promote him into an injury-ravaged rotation in May. Though his first taste of the majors has been predictably mixed, he has had the two finest outings of his young career in his last three trips to the mound.
The Cubs are in search of starting pitching at the trade deadline and have needed a boost in that department since lefty Justin Steele went down for the season in mid-April.
But in neutralizing a contending lineup, Horton showed he can be part of the starting-pitching answer as the Cubs try to set themselves up for a deep October run, during which they’d figure to see a lot of Crochet-like arms.
“Facing those [types of pitchers], I don’t need to get more amped up,” Horton said. “I think I actually need to slow myself down more just because, naturally, the environment and facing off with those guys, the energy’s going to be there. So it’s all about slowing the game down and controlling it from the jump.
“[Crochet is] a pro; he’s a vet. He knows how to navigate lineups, and it’s really fun to watch. There’s a lot to learn from that.”
Horton’s teammates have taken notice, too.
“He walked a few guys there to start a couple of innings,” left fielder Ian Happ said, “but just the presence on the mound to get out of those innings and keep making pitches, his mentality is really impressive.
‘‘That’s the thing that really sticks out.”
Atypical stuff from Cubs
The loss featured some unusual play from the Cubs, who have spent the season as one of the top all-around teams — offensively, defensively, on the basepaths and out of the bullpen.
They entered Sunday third in the majors with 110 steals. But they were nabbed twice on the basepaths in the loss to Boston.
Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was caught trying to steal third base in the second inning, only his fifth unsuccessful attempt this season. Crow-Armstrong and manager Craig Counsell protested to the third-base umpire, believing Crochet, who made the tag at the end of a rundown, blocked the bag.
Later in the same inning, Happ was caught trying to steal second base.
In another rarity, the Cubs allowed an extra base when second baseman Nico Hoerner was charged with an error. He was ruled to have obstructed a baserunner going from second to third.
Cubs pitchers also allowed five walks — to the leadoff hitters in five consecutive innings.
Only one of those walked batters ended up scoring, but it was a bizarre scene from a staff that came into the day with the second fewest walks in baseball.