Justin Steele Joins Exclusive List in Chicago Cubs History With Shutdown Home Start
Justin Steele continued to add on to his breakout All-Star campaign on Monday by joining an exclusive list in Chicago Cubs team history.
The 28-year-old left-handed pitcher tossed 8.0 scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants, striking out 12 batters and only allowing two hits. Chicago went on to win 5-0 at Wrigley Field.
According to TSN's StatsCentre, Steele became the fifth Cubs pitcher in MLB's modern era to record a home start with no earned runs, two or fewer hits allowed and 12-plus strikeouts.
Former Cy Young Jake Arrieta was the last Cub to hit all those benchmarks in the same game against the Cincinnati Reds back on Sept. 14, 2014. Longtime Cubs hurler Kerry Wood accomplished the feat twice – once in 1998 and again in 2001 – while Frank Castillo did it in 1995 and Pat Malone did it in 1934.
Steele is now 16-3 with a 2.55 ERA, 1.138 WHIP and 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings in 2023. The southpaw leads the National League in wins, winning percentage, ERA+ and home runs allowed per nine innings.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Steele has the second-best odds to win the NL Cy Young this season at plus-200, trailing only San Diego Padres ace Blake Snell.
The Cubs improved to 74-64 behind Steele's latest gem, building upon their lead for the second NL Wild Card spot. They now boast a 3.0-game cushion over the Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks, while the Giants dropped to sixth in the race for the three bonus postseason bids.
Game two between the Cubs and Giants is scheduled to get underway at 7:40 p.m. ET on Tuesday, while Steele is slated to take the mound again versus the Diamondbacks over the weekend.
Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media
Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by LIKING us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.
You can also subscribe to "The Payoff Pitch" podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Check out more Chicago Cubs coverage at Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Inside the Cubs.
