Cade Horton got a win with four innings in relief in his major league debut as the Chicago Cubs made an early lead stand, hanging on for a 6-5 victory over the host New York Mets on Saturday night.
Called up to replace injured Shota Imanaga (strained left hamstring), Horton (1-0) followed opener Brad Keller and allowed three runs on four hits. The 2022 first-round pick struck out five, walked none and threw 77 pitches.
Horton had his parents, siblings and other family members in the stands after joining the team from Triple-A Iowa, and he displayed a fastball that averaged about 95 mph along with an effective sweeper.
Horton entered the game after the Cubs took a 2-0 lead in the first inning off New York starter Tylor Megill (3-3) on RBI singles by Seiya Suzuki and Dansby Swanson.
Suzuki also doubled and scored on an RBI single by Michael Busch in the third and Swanson homered in the fourth as the Cubs halted their first three-game losing streak of the season.
Miguel Amaya added a crucial two-run single in the eighth as the Cubs went 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Brett Baty hit a three-run homer off Horton in the fourth and a two-run shot off Julian Merryweather in the eighth, but the Mets fell to 14-4 at home and wasted numerous opportunities. New York went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position against Keller, Horton and four other pitchers.
Horton started his outing with a strikeout of Brandon Nimmo and retired Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto with two runners on base for the final two outs of the third. He gave up three hits in the fourth, but maintained the lead by retiring Francisco Alvarez to end the frame.
Drew Pomeranz followed Horton and pitched a scoreless sixth, then Daniel Palencia retired Soto and Pete Alonso in the seventh with a runner on second to protect the one-run lead. Merryweather allowed Baty’s two-run drive in the eighth.
Porter Hodge retired Lindor on a double play grounder and retired Soto to secure his second save.
Megill allowed four runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out seven and walked two.
Pete Crow-Armstrong started the game with a single to center, stole second and took third on catcher Francisco Alvarez’s throwing error. The Cubs loaded the bases and took a 2-0 lead when Swanson legged out an infield single.
After Busch’s single scored Suzuki, Swanson hit his fourth homer in his past 11 games for a 4-0 lead.
–Field Level Media
