As he prepared for Wednesday\u2019s start against the Toronto Blue Jays, Horton knew that getting to this point of the season, and beyond, would require him to continue to figure out what he needs to do between starts for his run of success to roll on.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all about just getting into a good routine and sticking with that,\u201d Horton told the Tribune. \u201cRoutines can be monotonous, and it\u2019s the dirty work. It\u2019s not fun, it\u2019s not sexy. But it\u2019s the work you have to put in to ultimately be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Horton extended his scoreless innings streak<\/a> to 28 1\/3 on Wednesday in the Cubs\u2019 4-1 win. After his no-hit bid ended with Andr\u00e9s Gim\u00e9nez\u2019s one-out single in the sixth, Horton\u2019s night was done after walking Bo Bichette with two outs in the inning. The two outs he recorded in the sixth don\u2019t count toward his streak, per MLB.<\/p>\n Reliever Andrew Kittredge promptly gave up an RBI double to Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., ending the streak. Horton struck out five of the first nine batters he faced and finished with a career-high eight. That he notched a career best against the toughest team to strike out in the majors highlights how nasty Horton\u2019s stuff was against the Blue Jays.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was awesome, we\u2019ve had some superlatives with him on each start and this was maybe the best one because it was just really, really good,\u201d manager Craig Counsell<\/a> said. \u201cThe stuff was just electric, and then that\u2019s the beauty of being in the zone a lot, is that you get hitters in swing mode too, and then when the stuff is so good in the zone, they\u2019re not going to lay off. Then that\u2019s when you go to the strike-to-ball stuff, which he did really well, too.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s pitching at a really high level right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Horton\u2019s scoreless streak is the longest by a Cubs starter since Ryan Dempster\u2019s 33 innings in 2012 and ranks 20th in franchise history. It\u2019s the third-longest streak by a Cubs pitcher age 23 or younger since Vern Olsen\u2019s 30 innings in 1941; Ken Holtzman had 33 straight innings in 1969.<\/p>\n Horton credited Miguel Amaya\u2019s game-calling work behind the plate for how well the pitching sequencing played out to keep the Blue Jays guessing. Amaya was carted off the field<\/a> in the eighth inning after sustaining a left ankle sprain from awkwardly stepping on first base while legging out an infield single.<\/p>\n The Cubs will keep managing Horton\u2019s innings, even during games in which he\u2019s in a groove. They generally have been keeping him around five innings or about 75 pitches \u2014 he threw 82 on Wednesday. Horton has taken a mature approach to the organization\u2019s strategy.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat comes with those decisions, you just have to take the emotions out of it and be logical with it,\u201d Horton said. \u201cIt is the most innings I\u2019ve thrown in a year, but also I want to be healthy at the end of the year. As a competitor it sucks, but also it\u2019s the right thing to do, and so that makes it easier to adjust to it, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Miguel](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/CTC-Z-2229239189_232542782.jpg\")
Catcher Miguel Amaya of the Chicago Cubs celebrates at the end of the first inning with starting pitcher Cade Horton during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 13, 2025, in Toronto. (Cole Burston\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n