Cade Horton and Ian Happ power the Cubs to a 10-2 victory over the Nationals

By: Matt Carlson, The Associated Press Posted: 4:13 PM CDT Saturday, Mar. 28, 2026

CHICAGO (AP) — Cade Horton threw four-hit ball into the seventh inning, Ian Happ broke the game open with a three-run homer in the sixth inning and the Chicago Cubs routed the Washington Nationals 10-2 on Saturday.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/03/2026 (192 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Miguel Amaya homered and finished with two hits and two RBIs, and Pete Crow-Armstrong added two hits. Nico Hoerner, Matt Shaw and Carson Kelly drove in runs as the Cubs avenged Thursday’s 10-4 opening day loss.

Horton (1-0), the runner-up in the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year race, retired the first nine batters he faced before James Wood led off the fourth with a solo homer. The 24-year-old right-hander was charged with two runs in 6 1/3 innings, with four strikeouts and a walk.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Cade Horton (22) delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

Three Chicago relievers followed Horton and didn’t allow a hit.

Washington shortstop CJ Abrams missed the game due to a death in the family. Replacement Nasim Nuñez singled in a run.

Miles Mikolas (0-1) allowed six runs, four earned, on seven hits in five innings in his first start for the Nationals after signing as a free agent.

Horton pitched only three innings in his previous regular-season start, on Sept. 23 against the New York Mets, before leaving with back tightness that was diagnosed as a cracked right rib. He missed the Cubs’ playoff series against San Diego and Milwaukee, finishing last season at 11-4 with a 2.67 ERA.

The Cubs grabbed a 4-0 lead in the second. Shaw’s sacrifice fly opened the scoring, then Amaya’s bloop single scored a second run. Two unearned runs scored on Michael Busch’s pop after Daylen Lile collided with Nuñez in short left field.

Wood’s drive cut it to 4-1 in the fourth, but Amaya replied with a solo drive in the bottom half.