Nico Hoerner had three hits, including a pair of two-run doubles, to help the visiting Chicago Cubs to a 10-1 win against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of their three-game series on Friday night.
Christopher Morel hit a two-run homer and scored three times and Nick Madrigal had two hits, two RBIs and scored twice for the Cubs, who ended a five-game losing streak.
Cubs starter Marcus Stroman (3-4) allowed one run and three hits over six innings. He struck out four and walked two.
Phillies starter Ranger Suarez (0-1) allowed four runs and five hits in two innings, striking out four and walking three.
The Phillies have lost five straight and seven in a row against Chicago.
The Cubs gave up a first-inning run for the sixth straight game, although this time it did not matter.
Bryson Stott led off with a single up the middle, Bryce Harper hit a grounder to the opposite side that went off the glove of Madrigal and into shallow left for a double, putting runners on second and third with one out. Nick Castellanos followed with a sacrifice fly to right field for a 1-0 lead.
The Cubs loaded the bases with no outs in the second before Madrigal grounded a single up the middle just out of the reach of diving shortstop Trea Turner, scoring two runs for a 2-1 lead.
Hoerner, who was reinstated from the 10-day injured list on Friday (hamstring), pulled a curveball into the left-field corner for a two-run double and a 4-1 lead.
Yan Gomes drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth to make it 5-1.
Morel followed with a high chopper to Turner with two outs, but he was unable to field the ball with a backhand, allowing another run to score on the error for a 6-1 lead. After Madrigal walked, Hoerner followed with a line drive over the head of Castellanos in right, scoring two more runs for an 8-1 lead.
Morel clubbed his two-run homer in the ninth to extend the lead to 10-1.
–Field Level Media