PITTSBURGH (AP) — Chris Archer came to Pittsburgh with much fanfare when he was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays on July 31. Then he went 1-3 in his first eight starts with the Pirates.

It’s almost certainly too late for the Pirates to make a playoff push this season, but on Wednesday night, Archer finally looked like the pitcher they thought they were getting at the non-waiver trade deadline. He pitched seven strong innings, and Pittsburgh completed a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 2-1 win.

In his most impressive start since the trade, Archer (5-8) allowed one run on six hits with eight strikeouts and one walk. The right-hander made it out of the sixth inning for the first time in nine starts for the Pirates.

“The one thing I hang my hat on is making starts and pitching deep into ballgames,” Archer said. “Giving up way more runs than I wanted to this year, but the thing that frustrates me the most is my average innings. It has to be the lowest of my career, but there’s a correlation. The better you pitch, the deeper you pitch into games.”