Gausman sharp in Cubs debut with 6-4 win over Royals

Kevin Gausman was happy that his first start with the Chicago Cubs did not come against his former team.

The Kansas City Royals sure wish it had.

Gausman, who was acquired from the Blue Jays in a trade last weekend, could have been in line to start the Cubs’ makeup game against Toronto on Thursday. Instead, the two-time All-Star made his debut for them on Friday night, and he delivered exactly what they had envisioned, throwing seven sharp innings and leading Chicago to a 6-4 victory over the Royals.

Between the hit by Collins and Jensen’s two-out homer in the fifth, Gausman retired 12 of the 13 batters that he faced.

Gausman won his final start for Toronto last Saturday, allowing just one run while pitching into the sixth inning against St. Louis.

The Cubs gave Gausman the support he needed in the second, when Seiya Suzuki followed Pete Crow-Armstrong’s RBI single with a two-run single of his own. Chicago wound up plating four runs off Daniel Lynch IV (4-3), who had pitched out of the bullpen all season but was getting the start for a Kansas City rotation waylaid by injuries.

The fact that Gausman went so deep in the game was big for the Cubs, given they may have to protect Clay Holmes when he makes his own debut for them on Saturday night. The right-hander, who was acquired in a trade with the Mets, will be making his first start since May 15, when he fractured his right fibula on a sharp liner by the Yankees’ Spencer Jones.


(AP Photo Charlie Reidel)