Cade Horton had the worst outing of his major-league career on Friday night. The super-talented rookie didn’t shy from that fact.

He gave up seven earned runs over four innings against a relentless Houston Astros lineup that never took the pressure off. That’s there in the box score for all to see.

“I got my a kicked today,” Horton told on-site reporters in Houston after a 7-4 loss to the Astros.

Horton wasn’t wrong. He wasn’t his usual best.

He also didn’t resign himself to that conclusion. He spun things forward, vowing to learn from the experience. That a positive sign for a young pitcher the Cubs will need performing at his best later in the season.

Sometimes being candid portends confidence. It’s a sign of someone who made a mistake but knows deep down he can do better. That’s what the quote below suggests. Horton got outside of himself, and he plans to use the experience to get better.

“It was the first time I wasn’t able to slow the game down,” Horton said. “I let my emotions get the best of me today and I have to learn from it and move on. I’ve been in this spot before and you have take it for a grain of salt and learn from it and move on.”

Horton referenced a game where he gave up eight runs to Texas Tech while at the University of Oklahoma that also went sideways. He vowed then to improve. He did so again on Friday night.

“There was some good to come out of it,” Horton said after the game. “It’s not like it’s going to be the last time I feel like that on the mound. Baseball’s full of ups and downs and you have to take them for what they are and learn something.”

Cubs manager Craig Counsell backed his young and talented pitcher after a relatively poor outing. It was a big moment, marking the first time Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly returned to Houston following storied tenures with the Astros. That adds some pressure to perform well. So does the fact Houston’s another legit World Series contender and the Cubs what to lay their claim as a team to beat this fall.

Counsell was moving the ball forward after the game, hoping Horton can learn from the experience.

“When we talk about pressure, they put pressure on him constantly and never let him settle into a groove,” Counsell said. “…This was a really good regular-season environment. The fans to a great job. This place is loud, always. I just told Cade that this is a good example of what the playoffs are going to look like. Turn it up a couple of notches, but, as far as a road game that we’ve played this year, this is the best example of what it turns into against a tough lineup. That’s the lesson you kind of take from it, and he’ll be better next time.”

Horton was cognizant of that, and not so downtrodden after a tough outing that he couldn’t learn from a rough day at the office.

“It’s huge. That experience right there will help me better in October,” Horton said. “That’s what it is. I’d rather get my ass kicked tonight than go out in October and get my ass kicked there.”