Kevin Gausman tossed seven scoreless innings and Michael Conforto hit a 431-foot home run to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 7-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Monday, August 24, 2026. The win narrowed Chicago’s deficit in the National League Central.
The Chicago Cubs rolled to a dominant 7-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night at Chase Field, powered by a masterclass on the mound from Kevin Gausman and an unrelenting two-out offensive onslaught reported by the Associated Press. With the Milwaukee Brewers idle, the victory pulled the Cubs within 5 1/2 games of the division lead while tightening their grip on the top National League Wild Card spot, according to MLB.com.
Kevin Gausman Cruises Through Seven Scoreless Frames
Making his fourth start in a Cubs uniform since arriving at the trade deadline from the Toronto Blue Jays, Gausman put together his sharpest outing yet. The 35-year-old right-hander scattered three hits and a single walk over seven shutout innings, needing just 94 pitches to navigate the Diamondbacks’ lineup. He struck out six batters and relied heavily on an aggressive four-seam fastball approach.
Photo: Bleacherreport
Gausman turned to his four-seamer for 62 of his 94 pitches—a season-best 66 percent frequency—racking up a career-high 24 called strikes on the pitch. Working alongside catcher Carson Kelly for just the second time as a battery, Gausman kept an Arizona offense off balance that had entered the night ranking second in the National League in August OPS.
“I thought Carson called a hell of a game. Being able to recognize them with two strikes, maybe looking for something soft, we blew some fastballs right by guys. It’s always nice when you have good enough command where you can throw that pitch a lot, and I kind of knew early on it was going to be there.”
Kevin Gausman, Chicago Cubs pitcher, via MLB.com
Manager Craig Counsell credited Gausman’s command for the dominant performance. That’s the pitch that was definitely the difference maker, Counsell said in comments recorded by MLB.com, pointing out how Kelly sensed when hitters were sitting on offspeed offerings and dialed up the heater instead.
Two-Out Lightning and Back-to-Back Homers Sink Merrill Kelly
The Cubs continued a burgeoning trend of clutch hitting, driving in their first five runs with two outs in the inning. Pedro Ramírez opened the scoring in the second inning with an RBI triple down the right-field line that brought home Ian Happ, the Associated Press noted. Seiya Suzuki doubled in the fifth to push the lead to 2-0.
Photo: MLB.com
The game broke open in the sixth against Diamondbacks reliever Taylor Clarke. Carson Kelly immediately followed with a solo shot to left field against his former club, cementing a rapid-fire sequence of back-to-back home runs.
Conforto finished the night reaching base safely in all four plate appearances, going 3-for-3 with a single, a double, a home run, and a walk according to Bleacher Nation. Merrill Kelly absorbed the loss for Arizona, yielding three runs on five hits and three walks through 5 2/3 innings while striking out four.
Standings Context and Pitching Matchups for Tuesday
The shutout victory moves the Cubs to 76-56 on the season. In the National League Wild Card race, Chicago sits three games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies and five games up on the third-place San Diego Padres. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks dropped to 69-63.
Chicago Cubs vs Arizona Diamondbacks – FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS 🔥 August 24, 2026 MLB Season
With the series continuing at Chase Field, Arizona plans to send right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (7-1, 3.39 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday as reported by AP. The Cubs will counter with right-hander Clay Holmes (5-6, 2.49 ERA).
Daniel Richardson is the Editor-in-Chief of Archysport, where he leads the editorial team and oversees all published content across nine sport verticals. With over 15 years in sports journalism, Daniel has reported from the FIFA World Cup, the Olympic Games, NFL Super Bowls, NBA Finals, and Grand Slam tennis tournaments. He previously served as Senior Sports Editor at Reuters and holds a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University. Recognized by the Sports Journalists' Association for excellence in reporting, Daniel is a member of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS). His editorial philosophy centers on accuracy, depth, and fair coverage — ensuring every story published on Archysport meets the highest standards of sports journalism.
