NEW YORK — Cade Horton showcased his skills in his major league debut, securing the win with four effective innings of relief as the Chicago Cubs narrowly defeated the New York Mets 6-5 on Saturday night.
Brad Keller, serving as the Cubs’ opener, had a flawless first inning before giving way to Horton, who had been called up from Triple-A Iowa earlier in the day. Considered the team’s most promising pitching prospect, Horton allowed only three hits during his time on the mound, one of which was a three-run homer by Brett Baty in the fourth inning. The 23-year-old right-hander, selected in the first round of the 2022 draft, struck out five batters, walked none, and threw 49 of his 77 pitches for strikes in his debut relief appearance.
The Cubs got off to a strong start against Tylor Megill of the Mets, as Seiya Suzuki and Dansby Swanson contributed RBI singles in the first inning. Michael Busch later added a run-scoring single in the third, followed by Swanson’s solo home run to left field in the fourth.
Miguel Amaya provided two crucial insurance runs with a single in the eighth inning. However, the Mets fought back as Baty hit his third homer in two games, a two-run shot in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Porter Hodge, the sixth pitcher used by the Cubs, earned his second save with a spotless ninth inning, which included inducing Francisco Lindor to hit into a 1-6-3 double play after a leadoff walk.
Megill allowed four runs and seven hits over 4 2/3 innings. It marked a challenging period for him, as he has allowed eight runs in his last 9 2/3 innings over two games in May, contrasting with his 1.74 ERA over six starts in April. Throughout his career, Megill has performed significantly better in April with a record of 10-4 and a 2.45 ERA, while his stats dip to 14-20 with a 4.99 ERA in subsequent months.
Looking ahead, the Cubs will send left-hander Matthew Boyd (3-2, 2.75 ERA) to face off against right-hander Griffin Canning (5-1, 2.50 ERA) in the series finale on Sunday.