Nerves (and leg) of Steele: Cubs’ ace guts out clutch win over Crew

Justin Steele throws six scoreless innings in Cubs’ win

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2:50 AM UTC

CHICAGO — Justin Steele walked behind the mound, lifted his left leg and winced some as he gauged if he could tolerate the pain. A sharp comebacker off Victor Caratini’s bat had struck the Cubs’ lefty just above his knee, causing concern to ripple through the crowd at Wrigley Field.

Steele shook off the second-inning scare on Tuesday night, moving back up the mound and delivering the kind of gutsy performance that is becoming expected of Chicago’s surprising Cy Young contender. The lefty carved through Milwaukee’s lineup opposite a gem from Corbin Burnes, leading the Cubs to a 1-0 victory as they try to chip away at their division deficit.

With the win, the Cubs pulled within four games of the first-place Brewers in the National League Central. The North Siders also maintained their hold on the second of three slots in the packed NL Wild Card race.

Outings like the one Steele fashioned go a long way in helping Chicago complete this quest for October baseball.

Following the ballpark-hushing moment — during which manager David Ross and an athletic trainer talked things over with Steele before he continued — the lefty went on to pile up a career-high 111 pitches. Steele ended with eight strikeouts, issued one walk and sidestepped the potential harm of six scattered hits.

When Steele’s night was done, he walked off the hill with a 2.69 ERA that ranks second among all qualified pitchers in baseball. He picked up his 15th win, becoming the first Cubs pitcher since Jake Arrieta in 2016 to reach that total in 25 starts or fewer. Steele’s 18 quality starts are one behind Gerrit Cole for the Major League lead.