Cade Horton Shines, Pete Crow-Armstrong Drives In Two as Chicago Cubs Defeat Atlanta Braves 6-1 on September 9, 2025

Tuesday, September 9th, 2025

Chicago Cubs Defeat Atlanta Braves 6-1: Rookie Cade Horton Shines

The Chicago Cubs secured a commanding 6-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves, powered by an impressive performance from rookie pitcher Cade Horton. The Cubs pulled away late in the game, ending Tuesday night’s contest with a decisive win.

Cade Horton Leads the Way on the Mound

Cade Horton (10-4) continued to bolster his National League Rookie of the Year credentials with 6 1/3 strong innings. The right-hander allowed just one run on four hits and did not issue a walk. Horton now leads all rookies with a 2.70 ERA and his 10 wins top all National League rookies. This outing marked the third time this season Horton pitched into the seventh inning.

The Cubs’ bullpen backed up Horton effectively. Andrew Kittredge recorded the final two outs in the seventh inning, while Caleb Thielbar and Ben Brown each contributed a scoreless frame to close out the victory.

Pete Crow-Armstrong Sparks Offense

Pete Crow-Armstrong produced for the Cubs, going 1-for-2 with two RBIs, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. The speedy outfielder also stole two bases. Ian Happ added to the offensive effort, tallying two hits, including a double, and scoring a run. Matt Shaw made a significant impact as well with a two-run single during a four-run eighth inning, helping the Cubs create separation late in the game.

Game Highlights

Crow-Armstrong opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the first inning, bringing home Michael Busch. In the third, he added an RBI single that scored Happ. Dansby Swanson drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning before Shaw’s clutch single further padded the Chicago lead.

Atlanta’s lone run came when Ronald Acuña Jr. crossed the plate on an RBI single by Jurickson Profar.

Key Moment

Matt Shaw broke the game open in the eighth inning with a two-out, bases-loaded single against Connor Seabold. Nico Hoerner and Willi Castro scored on the hit, and Dansby Swanson came home on a fielding error by Nacho Alvarez Jr., giving the Cubs a comfortable 6-1 advantage.

Key Stat

Since the All-Star break, Cade Horton has been dominant, yielding just five runs in 53 1/3 innings for an impressive 0.84 ERA across 10 starts. In his last two outings—both against Atlanta—he surrendered only one run and four hits over 11 1/3 innings.

Pitching Matchup for Series Finale

The Braves will send left-hander Chris Sale (5-4, 2.38 ERA) to the mound for the final game of the three-game set. Sale has not allowed more than one run in any of his last eight starts. The Cubs have yet to announce their starting pitcher for the finale.

In summary

The Chicago Cubs’ strong pitching and timely hitting propelled them to a convincing win over the Atlanta Braves. Cade Horton’s continued dominance on the mound and contributions from Pete Crow-Armstrong and Matt Shaw highlighted a well-rounded team performance. With this victory, the Cubs look to carry momentum into the series finale, while Atlanta will rely on Chris Sale to help avoid a series sweep.

MLB Schedules

Today's MLB Games

There are no baseball games today.

Tomorrow's MLB Games

There are no baseball games tomorrow.

Yesterday's MLB Games

There were no baseball games yesterday.