CHICAGO (Interstat) — The Chicago Cubs rebounded from a season-opening loss in emphatic fashion, erupting for a 10-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Saturday evening at a chilly Wrigley Field. A crowd of 34,834 watched as the Cubs evened their record at 1-1, capitalizing on early Nationals miscues before blowing the game open with a late offensive surge.

The most important part of the game arrived in the bottom of the sixth inning, transforming a competitive contest into a decisive rout. Leading 6-2, the Cubs saw Matt Shaw lead off with a single and Michael Busch draw a two-out walk. That brought Ian Happ to the plate, who promptly launched a three-run homer to left-center field off reliever Robert Garcia. The blast, Happ’s first of the season, broke the game open at 9-2 and effectively sealed the outcome. The inning continued as the Cubs batted around, adding another run on a bases-loaded walk to Carson Kelly to reach double digits.

Chicago’s offense was paced by catcher Miguel Amaya and Happ. Amaya went 2 for 4, starting the scoring with a two-run single in the second inning and adding a solo home run in the fourth. Happ’s three-run shot in the sixth capped his 1-for-5, three-RBI day. Pete Crow-Armstrong added two hits and scored twice, while Nico Hoerner contributed a run-scoring double.

The Cubs’ four-run second inning set the early tone, taking advantage of shaky Washington defense. After a sacrifice fly by Shaw brought in the first run, Amaya’s single tied the game. The inning continued when Nationals shortstop Nasim Nuñez committed a costly fielding error on a Michael Busch grounder, allowing two more runs to score.

Nationals starter Miles Mikolas bore the loss, falling to 0-1. He was charged with six runs, four earned, on six hits over five innings. His defense did him no favors, with the error in the second proving pivotal.

Washington’s offense, which produced 10 runs in Thursday’s opener, was stifled by Cubs right-hander Cade Horton and a quartet of relievers. Horton earned the win, moving to 1-0, by allowing two runs on three hits across five innings of work. He struck out three and walked one. The Cubs’ bullpen was flawless, with Caleb Thielbar, Jacob Webb, and Phil Maton combining for four perfect innings of relief to close out the game.

The Nationals managed only four hits total. Their runs came on a solo home run by James Wood in the fourth inning and an RBI single by Nuñez in the fifth. They grounded into three double plays, squandering any potential momentum.

The result defied the pregame projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 5-1 Washington victory. However, the Cubs’ performance aligned with their status as a -1.5 favorite, and the combined 12 runs fell under the posted over/under line of 9.5.

With the win, the Cubs evened the season series at one game apiece. The Nationals also moved to 1-1. The two teams will conclude their three-game set on Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field before both embark on road trips. Washington heads to Philadelphia for a three-game series starting Monday, while Chicago will host the Los Angeles Angels for three beginning the same day.