The Chicago Cubs secured their eighth consecutive victory with a 7-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday. Pete Crow-Armstrong led the offense with a 3-for-4 performance, driving in two RBIs, while Seiya Suzuki contributed with a two-run homer.

Ian Happ also drove in two runs, and Alex Bregman had a stellar night with three hits, helping the Cubs outhit the Phillies 13-9. Starting pitcher Matthew Boyd made his first appearance since returning from a 15-day stint on the injured list due to a left bicep strain. Boyd tossed 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits, with five strikeouts and no walks. Ben Brown (1-0) came in relief, throwing 2 1/3 scoreless innings and striking out five.

Philadelphia’s Kyle Backhus started as the opener but allowed a first-inning run. Taijuan Walker (1-4) then took over, surrendering eight hits and five runs (four earned) over four innings. Walker struck out one and walked one as the Phillies suffered their eighth consecutive loss. This marks the first time Philadelphia has lost eight in a row since a nine-game skid in September 2018.

The Cubs got off to a quick start in the bottom of the first, as Nico Hoerner and Bregman led off with back-to-back singles. Happ’s groundout brought Hoerner home, giving Chicago a 1-0 lead.

In the second, the Phillies capitalized on consecutive singles from Felix Reyes and Alec Bohm. Edmundo Sosa’s run-scoring double and Justin Crawford’s groundout put Philadelphia ahead 2-1.

After Backhus’ short stint, Walker took over in the second inning. Miguel Amaya reached on a fielding error by Crawford, and Crow-Armstrong’s double allowed Amaya to score the tying run.

Bregman tripled in the third, setting up Happ’s RBI single to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead. Two batters later, Michael Busch hit his first home run of the season, pushing Chicago’s advantage to 4-2.

Bregman’s third hit of the night in the fifth set up Suzuki’s two-run homer, extending the Cubs’ lead to 6-2.

Crow-Armstrong’s eighth-inning RBI single off Alan Rangel sealed the victory, making it 7-2 and capping off a dominant offensive display by the Cubs. -Field Level Media/Reuters