Kevin Gausman just gave the Cubs exactly what they traded the Blue Jays for.
In his fourth start with Chicago, the right-hander delivered his best outing yet, throwing seven shutout innings in a 7-0 road win over the Diamondbacks.
He allowed just three hits and a walk while striking out six, needing only 94 pitches to get through all seven.
That's the clean, efficient version of Gausman that Toronto leaned on for years before this summer's trade.
Gausman improved to 2-1 with the Cubs, and the win moved Chicago within 5.5 games of the Brewers atop the NL Central.
Chicago also stretched its lead over the Phillies to three games for the top NL Wild Card spot.
His early stretch in Chicago hadn't gone smoothly. A hand cramp scare and a rough ERA had raised real questions about the transition.
Why this outing matters more than one box score
Michael Conforto and Carson Kelly hit back-to-back homers off reliever Taylor Clarke in the sixth, breaking the game open for good.
Kelly's solo shot came against the same Diamondbacks team he spent four and a half seasons with earlier in his career.
Pedro Ramirez tripled home Ian Happ in the second, and Seiya Suzuki added a double in the fifth to push the lead further before the offense broke it open.
Conforto reached base four times on the night, adding to a Cubs offense that gave Gausman all the support he needed.
Arizona managed just five singles against him, with Corbin Carroll stealing two bases as the lone bright spot for the Diamondbacks.
For Toronto, this is the kind of start that makes the trade look less lopsided than earlier struggles suggested.
Whether this becomes Gausman's new normal in Chicago, or just one strong night in an up-and-down transition, is still the question worth tracking.
Is Kevin Gausman turning the corner with the Cubs after a rough start to his tenure there?
Also read on Blue Jays Insider :
Blue Jays star pitcher Trey Yesavage makes life changing off-the-field announcement
