The Chicago Cubs rode a dominant pitching performance and timely power to silence the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 on Wednesday night, handing Kevin Gausman a rare loss despite his seven strong innings. Rookie starter Cade Horton set the tone early, carving through Toronto's lineup with eight strikeouts over 5.2 innings while allowing just one run on a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. RBI single. The Cubs' bullpen then slammed the door, with Daniel Palencia and Brad Keller combining for 1.2 perfect frames to preserve the lead.

Chicago's offense struck early when Matt Shaw crushed a two-run homer in the second inning, his solo shot proving decisive in a game where runs were scarce. Michael Busch added insurance with a towering solo blast in the eighth, his 20th of the season, while Nico Hoerner collected two hits to pace the Cubs' attack. The Blue Jays' lone bright spot was Guerrero Jr.'s RBI single, but Toronto's bats went quiet after that, managing just three hits total against Chicago's stifling pitching staff. The victory keeps the Cubs' playoff push on track while the Blue Jays continue searching for offensive consistency.