Cubs newly-acquired pitcher Kevin Gausman already has nothing but love for new teammates

Kevin Gausman’s first outing in a Cubs uniform did not start smoothly, but it did not take long for his new team to win him over. The right-hander earned the win in his Chicago debut Friday night, tossing seven strong innings in a 6-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals, and he made sure to credit the defense behind him for helping settle him in.

“I can’t say enough about this defense. You notice it right away,” Gausman told reporters post-game. “Guys are running all over the place, putting their body on the line. A lot of fun.”

"Man, I can't say enough about this defense. You notice it right away. Guys are running all over the place, putting their body on the line. A lot of fun."

Kevin Gausman hypes up the Cubs' defense pic.twitter.com/ZUzlxgwm16

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 8, 2026

Gausman admitted his outing did not begin the way he wanted, walking the leadoff man and giving up two hits and a run in a shaky first inning.

“It took me a little bit to kind of get going. I was too quick, too amped up, trying to pitch great the first couple batters of the game,” Gausman said. “I kind of got to let the game come to you. It took me kind of getting hit in the ankle to wake up a little bit, but we got through it, and me and Carson got on the same page.”

The ankle scare came on a first-inning line drive off the bat of Salvador Perez that struck Gausman directly. He stayed in the game after a visit from the trainer and some warm-up throws, and the moment appeared to settle him rather than rattle him. From there, Gausman retired 19 of the final 21 batters he faced, allowing just a solo home run over the rest of his outing.

“I got lucky. It hit me half on my shoe, half on my leg. I’ll take that,” Gausman said. “I’ll put some tape on it, put some ice on it the next couple days. I’ll be all right.”

Catcher Carson Kelly, working with Gausman for the first time, came away impressed with how the outing unfolded.

“It seemed like he got stronger as he went,” Kelly said. “He’s nasty.”

The win extended Chicago’s winning streak to five games and gave the Cubs exactly what they hoped for when they acquired Gausman from the Blue Jays at the deadline, a veteran arm capable of anchoring the rotation down the stretch as the team pushes for the postseason.

The post Cubs newly-acquired pitcher Kevin Gausman already has nothing but love for new teammates appeared first on ClutchPoints.