Chicago Started With the Loud Answer

Alex Bregman hit a two-run homer in the first inning, scoring Seiya Suzuki and giving the Cubs an immediate advantage. Carson Kelly singled home Pedro Ramírez in the second.

The first two innings established that Minnesota would need an early response. The next two removed the opportunity. Wrigley received a four-inning summary and five innings of confirmation.

Chicago had beaten the Twins 6-2 the previous day. The Cubs returned to Wrigley and treated that useful win as a modest opening offer.

Hoerner Broke the Third Inning Open

Nico Hoerner delivered the largest swing, a three-run triple in the third that scored Michael Busch, Bregman and Ian Happ. Ramírez followed with an RBI single, pushing the lead to 7-0.

Hoerner finished 2-for-5 with four RBIs. Bregman had two hits, two RBIs and two runs. Busch collected three hits and scored twice.

This was not one hitter dragging the lineup through an inning. Chicago kept passing the damage from one at-bat to the next, which is how a normal game becomes an afternoon when the opposing bullpen starts checking the return schedule.

Ten Runs Were Enough for Imanaga

The Cubs added three more in the fourth. Busch singled home Pete Crow-Armstrong, Bregman brought Suzuki home on a fielder’s choice, and Hoerner singled in Busch.

Shota Imanaga had already received more support than he needed. He worked seven scoreless innings, allowing six hits and one walk while striking out four. Minnesota did not score until Royce Lewis’ sacrifice fly in the eighth.

The Twins finished with eight hits, but the lineup never created the concentrated inning required to challenge Chicago’s early lead. Zebby Matthews allowed 10 runs, eight earned, over three innings. The game did not gradually escape Minnesota. It used the express exit.

Chicago finished with 12 hits and received production from every part of the order. Seven Cubs scored at least once, and the first four innings included a home run, a triple, timely singles and pressure created by Minnesota’s defensive mistake. The offense did not need one repeatable trick because it kept finding different ones.

The Desk Metric: Ten by the Fourth

The verified First-Four Knockout was 10 runs. Chicago led 10-0 before the fifth inning began.

That number captures the completeness of the win. The lineup finished its work early, and Imanaga made sure the large margin never became an invitation for a strange comeback.

The Official Overreaction

Desk ruling: Wrigley may begin holding October reservations, with the usual cancellation policy printed in very small type. The Cubs paired relentless early offense with seven scoreless innings from Imanaga and made a 10-1 win feel settled long before the final out.