CHICAGO (Interstat) — Joey Wiemer’s first-inning blast set an immediate tone and Keibert Ruiz provided critical late-inning insurance as the Washington Nationals defeated the Chicago Cubs 6-3 on Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field to claim the opening series of the season.

The Nationals, rebounding from a lopsided loss a day prior, improved to 2-1, while the Cubs fell to 1-2.

The most important part of the game came in the top of the first inning, a swift and decisive response to Saturday’s defeat. After Cubs starter Shota Imanaga recorded two quick strikeouts, Brady House and Daylen Lile hit back-to-back singles. Wiemer then stepped in and demolished a 2-0 offering from Imanaga, sending a towering fly ball to left-center field for a three-run homer. The early 3-0 lead provided a cushion that Washington’s pitching staff would protect for the remainder of the contest.

Wiemer, the Nationals’ right fielder, was the offensive catalyst, finishing a perfect 3-for-3 with a home run, a triple, a walk, three RBIs and two runs scored. He has begun the season on a torrid 6-for-6 streak over his last two games, both at Wrigley Field.

Nationals starter Jake Irvin earned the win, navigating five innings of two-run ball. He surrendered three hits, both of which were solo home runs in the fourth inning, and struck out seven against one walk. After Alex Bregman and Ian Happ hit consecutive homers to cut the lead to 3-2, Irvin settled to retire the next two batters, stranding a runner at third to end the threat.

Imanaga took the loss for Chicago, charged with four runs on six hits over five innings. He struck out seven but was plagued by the first-inning mistake to Wiemer.

Washington added a run in the sixth without a hit. Lile and Wiemer walked, and CJ Abrams was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. After a strikeout, Ruiz lifted a sacrifice fly to center off reliever Hunter Harvey to score Lile and extend the lead to 4-2.

The Cubs threatened in the later innings but were stifled by Washington’s bullpen. Gus Varland recorded four outs in relief of Irvin, and in the eighth, after Ruiz’s two-run homer, the Cubs mounted a final push. Following Bregman’s second solo home run of the day, a blast to right-center off Varland that made it 6-3, Ian Happ struck out and Pete Crow-Armstrong flied out to end the inning.

Clayton Beeter worked a perfect ninth inning, needing just eight pitches to retire the side and secure his first save of the season.

Ruiz’s two-run homer in the eighth proved to be the decisive blow. After Wiemer singled and was erased on a fielder’s choice, Ruiz took Daniel Palencia deep to left-center, providing the Nationals with a four-run advantage that neutralized Bregman’s subsequent homer in the bottom half.

Bregman was the lone bright spot for the Cubs’ offense, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and two RBIs. The rest of the Chicago lineup managed just two other hits and struck out 10 times.

The game, played in 2 hours, 34 minutes before an announced crowd of 33,559, saw the Nationals outhit the Cubs 11-4. The combined nine total runs exceeded the pre-game over/under line of 8.5, a forecast that contrasted with Interstat’s ELO system, which had given the Cubs a 68.5% probability to win.

Washington now travels to Philadelphia for a three-game series beginning Monday. The Cubs will remain at home to host the Los Angeles Angels for a three-game set starting Monday.