The Chicago Cubs powered past the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-5 on Monday at Wrigley Field with a four-homer outburst to open their three-game series.
Key moments:
The Dodgers jumped ahead 3-0 just five pitches into the game on a three-run homer by Tommy Edman.
The Cubs answered immediately with a two-run homer from Seiya Suzuki.
Kevin Alcántara hit the first home run of his MLB career, a two-run shot that put Chicago in front.
Carson Kelly added a two-run homer, and Michael Busch capped the power display with a solo homer against his former team.
Busch also contributed a two-run single and finished with three RBIs, matching Kelly's RBI total.
Pitching:
Matthew Boyd (Cubs): 6⅔ innings, 5 runs (4 earned), earning the win after recovering from the rough first inning.
Justin Wrobleski (Dodgers): Took the loss after allowing seven runs, including four home runs, in just over four innings.
The loss extended the Dodgers' losing streak to four games, matching their longest skid of the season, while the Cubs continued their strong offensive form with another double-digit scoring performance.
The Cubs erased an early three-run deficit and powered past the Dodgers 10-5 on Monday night at Wrigley Field, opening the series with an emphatic comeback victory.
The Dodgers jumped ahead just five pitches into the game. After two singles, Tommy Edman launched a three-run homer to give Los Angeles a 3-0 lead. Rather than unravel, the Cubs answered immediately. Pete Crow-Armstrong singled to open the bottom of the first, and Seiya Suzuki followed with a two-run homer to cut the deficit to one.
Matthew Boyd recovered impressively after the rough start. He retired the next three Dodgers in the first inning, settled into a rhythm, and even picked off Shohei Ohtani in the second. Boyd ultimately pitched into the seventh inning, allowing the Cubs' offense time to take control.
Chicago grabbed the lead in the second when Dansby Swanson walked and Kevin Alcántara—freshly recalled from Triple-A Iowa—hit the first major league home run of his career. The Cubs added more in the third as Alex Bregman doubled before Carson Kelly connected on a two-run homer, turning an early 3-0 hole into a 6-3 advantage after three innings.
The Cubs continued to pile on. Michael Busch added a solo home run in the fourth, while Suzuki contributed with more than just his bat by throwing out Kyle Tucker trying to stretch a single into a double in the sixth. Although Teoscar Hernández answered with a towering 443-foot home run for the Dodgers, Chicago responded with a three-run rally in the bottom of the inning. Bases-loaded walks and Busch's two-run single pushed the lead to 10-5.
Boyd exited after recording two outs in the seventh to a standing ovation. Trent Thornton and Jake Woodford combined to close out the final innings, with Woodford finishing the game by inducing a double play and recording the final out.
The Cubs finished with four home runs from Suzuki, Alcántara, Kelly, and Busch. It marked their 15th game of the season scoring at least 10 runs, tying the Nationals for the most in Major League Baseball. They also became the first Cubs team this season to hit three two-run homers in a single game.
The win, combined with the Brewers' loss to the Pirates, moved Chicago within 5.5 games of first place in the NL Central while maintaining a four-game cushion for the top National League Wild Card spot.
The series continues Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, with Javier Assad scheduled to start for the Cubs against Tarik Skubal, who is expected to make his Dodgers debut.