Rookie Horton Shines as Cubs Clip Blue Jays

North of the border, the Chicago Cubs showed their claws with a 4–1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, powered by rookie right-hander Cade Horton’s career-high eight strikeouts. Horton flirted with a no-hitter into the sixth inning, extending his scoreless streak to 28 1/3 innings before a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. RBI double ended the run.

Michael Busch wasted no time setting the tone with a leadoff homer in the third, while Matt Shaw followed with a solo shot in the fifth. Busch added a sacrifice fly late, and Seiya Suzuki’s RBI single put the game out of reach.

The Cubs’ win keeps them within striking distance in the NL Central and adds more proof that their young arms can roar just as loud as their veteran bats. With momentum building, Chicago heads into the next series looking to keep their playoff push on track.