Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (8/24/26): Cubs 7, D-Backs 0 – Gausman Shuts Down Snakes in Desert
The Cubs kept their momentum going after a big offensive performance in Seattle on Sunday with another impressive effort against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field Monday night. They got more than enough runs in a lopsided shutout win, making this one easy on their starting pitcher.
Chicago got on the scoreboard against Merrill Kelly when Pedro Ramírez tripled into the right-field corner in the top of the 2nd inning. They increased the lead to 2-0 on an RBI double by Seiya Suzuki in the 5th. Starting pitcher Kevin Gausman was on top of his game from the very beginning, dominating the Arizona hitters.
The North Siders busted the game open with back-to-back home runs against reliever Taylor Clarke in the top of the 6th. Michael Conforto had a two-run blast and Carson Kelly followed with a solo shot to build the advantage to 5-0.
Gausman cruised through seven scoreless frames, making it his best start so far with his new team. The Cubs completed the scoring with two in the top of the 7th on an RBI double by Ian Happ and a sacrifice fly from Nico Hoerner. There was no drama in the final innings as the road team was victorious by a margin of 7-0. (Box score)
Key Moment
The two home runs in the 6th inning gave Chicago much-needed breathing room and took the pressure off the bullpen.
Why the Cubs Won
Excellent starting pitching and timely power hitting made this one a pretty comfortable victory.
Stats That Matter
- Gausman was razor-sharp: 7 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 6 K, and 1 BB.
- Conforto had a big night with a double and single in addition to his home run.
- Ramírez raised his average to .290 with two more hits.
- Happ might be warming up with a .327 batting average in the last week.
Bottom Line
With a potential playoff rotation an open question, efforts like this one from Gausman can go a long way to getting him a game one or two start. Any time the Cubs can have a big offensive showing without any contribution from Pete Crow-Armstrong is a great sign. It means maybe they can still perform even when the potential MVP is in a slump.
On Deck
Game two of the series is Tuesday night at 8:40pm CT. Clay Holmes is making the start against Brandon Pfaadt in a matchup available on Marquee with radio coverage on The Score.
