The game was decided before Detroit's lineup had settled into its seats. Chicago sent hitters through the order in the first inning, scored six runs, and turned what could have been a tight night at Wrigley Field into a laugher. The Cubs won 11-2.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DET | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| CHC | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | X | 11 | 11 | 0 |
David Peterson did the rest. He worked 6.2 innings, allowed 3 hits, walked 1 and struck out 4, finishing with 0 runs allowed. It was the kind of start that lets an offense breathe, and after the first-inning outburst, that's all Chicago needed. Peterson improved to 5-7 on the season, carrying a 5.97 ERA.
The decisive sequence in the first inning came fast. Kelly singled to right, and Crow-Armstrong and Suzuki both scored to make it 2-0, the go-ahead blow of the night. Busch followed with a single that brought home Bregman, and Happ's infield single scored Kelly. Crow-Armstrong walked to force in Busch, and Suzuki walked to force in Hoerner, and by the time the inning ended Chicago led 6-0. The Cubs kept adding across the middle innings — Crow-Armstrong's third-inning single drove in Swanson, and Conforto's two-run homer to right center in the fifth made it 9-0. Chicago tacked on two more in the seventh on a fielder's-choice grounder by Suzuki and a Bregman single.
Detroit's night unraveled from the opening frame. Framber Valdez lasted just 0.2 innings, allowing 5 hits and 6 runs, all earned, with 2 walks, and was tagged with the loss, falling to 5-7 on the season with a 4.57 ERA. The Tigers' only runs came in the ninth, when Dingler homered to left center and Lee scored ahead of him, but the two runs were never more than a footnote against an 11-0 deficit.
Conforto finished 1-for-2 with the home run, 2 RBIs and a walk, while Swanson scored three runs on a 2-for-3 night. Chicago's win pushed its record to 57-44, snapping into a one-game winning streak, while Detroit fell to 47-54 with the loss.