CHICAGO (Interstat) — The Chicago Cubs erupted for five runs in the third inning and cruised to a 10-3 victory over the New York Mets on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field, bouncing back emphatically after a tough loss a day earlier.

A crowd of 35,060 watched as the Cubs’ offense pounded out 11 hits, including home runs from Michael Busch and Matt Shaw, to back a strong start from winning pitcher Matthew Boyd. The loss dropped the Mets to 81-77 on the season, while the Cubs improved to 89-69.

The game was a pitcher’s duel through two innings before the Cubs’ bats came alive in the bottom of the third against Mets starter Jonah Tong. Matt Shaw started the rally with a single, and after a walk to Busch, Nico Hoerner loaded the bases with another single. Ian Happ then cleared the bases with a two-run double, and Moisés Ballesteros and Seiya Suzuki followed with run-scoring singles. A sacrifice fly from Pete Crow-Armstrong capped the five-run outburst, giving Chicago a 5-0 lead.

Shaw extended the lead in the fourth inning with a solo home run to center field, his 13th of the season.

The Mets showed a brief sign of life in the top of the fifth. After a single from Mark Vientos, catcher Francisco Alvarez connected for a two-run homer off Boyd, cutting the deficit to 6-2.

Chicago, however, answered immediately. In the bottom of the fifth, a costly error by Mets third baseman Vientos allowed a run to score. Then in the sixth, Busch delivered the final blow, a two-run homer to right-center field that also scored Shaw, pushing the Cubs’ advantage to 10-2. The home run was Busch’s 31st of the year.

New York’s final run came in the eighth inning on a solo home run by Juan Soto, his 43rd of the season, against Cubs reliever Aaron Civale.

Boyd earned the win to improve to 14-8, allowing two runs on two hits over 5 1/3 innings, striking out three. Civale recorded a three-inning save, his first of the season, surrendering one run on two hits while fanning three. Tong took the loss for the Mets, falling to 2-3 after being charged with six runs in three innings of work.

Mets reliever Ryan Helsley provided two scoreless innings of relief, and Clay Holmes pitched a perfect seventh. For the Cubs, Daniel Palencia recorded the final two outs of the sixth inning.

The victory helped the Cubs avoid a series sweep after the Mets won a high-scoring affair 9-7 on Tuesday. The result defied the pregame betting lines, which had installed the Mets as a 1.5-run favorite, and the combined 13 runs sailed over the projected total of 7. The teams conclude their four-game series on Thursday.