A year ago, Matthew Boyd was chasing an opportunity to return to the major leagues.

Wednesday night he flirted with history – carrying a perfect game into the sixth inning and continuing to prove how valuable of an offseason addition he was for the Cubs.

“I’m grateful,” the left-hander told reporters in Washington after the Cubs’ 2-0 loss to the Nationals. “I’m grateful for the Cubs to give me this opportunity here. We got an awesome ball club so it’s really fun to be a part of this club, fun to be part of what we’re doing as a team this year and just have a lot of gratitude in that sense.”

The Cubs are off to a strong start – Wednesday’s result notwithstanding – and Boyd has been a key factor in that. Boyd was signed to a two-year contract in the offseason with little fanfare. It wasn’t a flashy headlining addition to the rotation. But it’s been as impactful as any starter that was added in the winter.

He’s sporting a 3.01 ERA in 12 starts with a 1.19 WHIP after Wednesday’s 7.1 innings. The Cubs rotation had plenty of question marks just a month ago when Shota Imanaga joined Justin Steele on the injured list. These were the Cubs’ co-aces hitting the shelf, not just some innings-eaters.

[Cubs Takeaways: What we learned in epic pitcher’s duel in Washington D.C.]

Boyd and Jameson Taillon have helped stabilize that group. It hasn’t been pretty – the rotation has a 4.78 ERA since Imanaga landed on the IL, but the Cubs are 17-9 in that span. That duo is a key part of that. Boyd and Taillon have combined for a 3.46 ERA and 0.97 WHIP since May 5. That’s a pretty good one-two punch.

“He’s pitching really well and at a time when we had some starters hurt, I think he’s really answered the call and just done his job really, really well,” manager Craig Counsell told reporters after the game. “You’re happy for him. He’s healthy, he’s having success and it’s good for him.”