BY BILL TROCCHI
ATLANTA (AP) — Rookie Cade Horton threw 6 1/3 strong innings, Pete Crow-Armstrong drove in two runs and the Chicago Cubs pulled away from the Atlanta Braves late for a 6-1 win Tuesday night.
Horton (10-4), a leading candidate for National League Rookie of the Year, allowed one run on four hits with no walks. His 2.70 ERA leads all rookies and 10 wins lead National League rookies. He pitched into the seventh inning for the third time this season.
Andrew Kittredge recorded the final two outs in the seventh, and Caleb Thielbar and Ben Brown each pitched a scoreless inning.
Crow-Armstrong went 1 for 2, walked, was hit by a pitch and had two steals. Ian Happ was 2 for 5 with a double and a run scored. Matt Shaw had a two-run single during a four-run eighth inning.
Crow-Armstrong had a sacrifice fly in the first inning that drove in Michael Busch and an RBI single in the third that scored Happ. Dansby Swanson walked with the bases loaded in the eighth before Shaw’s single.
Ronald Acuña Jr. scored the lone run for the Braves off an RBI single from Jurickson Profar.
Braves starter Spencer Strider (5-13) gave up two runs on six hits while striking out eight.
Key moment
Shaw’s bases-loaded single with two outs in the eighth inning off Connor Seabold broke the game open for the Cubs. Nico Hoerner and Willi Castro scored on the hit and Swanson came home on a fielding error by Nacho Alvarez Jr. to give the Cubs a 6-1 lead.
Key stat
In 10 starts since the All-Star break, Horton has given up just five runs in 53 1/3 innings for a 0.84 ERA. In his last two starts, both against the Braves, he surrendered one run and four hits in 11 1/3 innings.
Up next
Braves LHP Chris Sale (5-4, 2.38 ERA), who has not given up more than one run in his last eight starts, will pitch the finale of the three-game series. The Cubs have not announced a starting pitcher.
