Cubs starter Justin Steele expressed confidence after his last start better outings were ahead.
He was right for at least one day.
Steele threw five scoreless innings Wednesday as the Cubs beat the Twins 3-0, clinching their fifth series win since mid-June.
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“Justin looked really good,” Cubs manager David Ross said. “I thought the fastball looked electric.”
Steele walked three and hit a batter but only allowed one hit, effectively working around traffic. After allowing a pair of baserunners to open the second inning, he got a strikeout and double play to end the frame.
The lefty had two 1-2-3 innings (third, fifth) — as many as he had his first three starts.
It was an encouraging outing from Steele after his last couple. He allowed five hits and three walks Aug. 16 against the Reds, allowing two runs in four innings.
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He was in trouble throughout his start last Wednesday against the Rockies, allowing five hits and a pair of walks in 3 2/3 innings while being charged with four runs.
Steele highlighted his fastball command as something he struggled with his last start. It was an area of focus for him leading up to Wednesday.
“Out of all my starts I've had the big leagues, tonight was the best night as far as commanding both my two-seam and my four-seam,” said Steele, who picked up his first career win as a starting pitcher.
“Even in the bullpen prior to the game, I threw a bunch of fastballs, just making sure I had those two working for me tonight. Having both of them just makes everything else better.”
Ross was encouraged by how Steele mixed the two pitches.
“I thought tonight there was real separation in the two,” Ross said. “It looked like he was sinking hard. He sped some guys up with the four and then sank him away the second time through.
“Some really good offspeed pitches mixed in there, but I thought the fastball played today. As electric as I've seen him.”
The outing gives Steele something to build on in this final month of the season that figures to have five starts remaining. Between him, Keegan Thompson and Adbert Alzolay, the Cubs need someone to step up going forward to shorten the rebuild.
Alzolay, who posted a 5.16 ERA in 21 starts this season, will pitch out of the bullpen the rest of the season so the Cubs can monitor his workload.
He came off the IL Wednesday and was dominant, tossing four scoreless innings while piggybacking off Steele.
Thompson pitched two-plus innings in his last start, his second since joining the rotation in August, while struggling with efficiency in both outings.
“Just getting better and better each time I’m out there,” Steele said.