PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — A five-run fifth inning, punctuated by a relentless offensive display that saw eight consecutive batters reach base, propelled the Philadelphia Phillies to a 13-7 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Monday night at Citizens Bank Park.

The win, witnessed by a crowd of 36,045, evened the Phillies’ record at 8-8, while the Cubs fell to 7-9.

The game’s decisive sequence unfolded in the bottom of the fifth, transforming a narrow 4-2 Phillies lead into a commanding advantage. After a leadoff walk to Kyle Schwarber and singles from Bryce Harper and Adolis García loaded the bases, Brandon Marsh cleared them with a ringing double to center field, scoring two. Alec Bohm followed with a sacrifice fly, Bryson Stott added an RBI single and J.T. Realmuto capped the outburst with another run-scoring single.

That inning, which saw the Phillies bat around, provided more than enough support for left-hander Cristopher Sánchez, who earned the win to improve to 2-1. Sánchez worked five innings, allowing two runs on four hits while walking two and striking out four. His counterpart, Cubs starter Javier Assad, was charged with the loss after surrendering nine runs on 10 hits over four and one-third innings, his record dropping to 1-1.

The Phillies’ offense was a machine, amassing 15 hits and scoring in six of their eight offensive frames. Schwarber set the tone early, launching a solo home run to center field in the first inning for his fifth of the season. He then connected for his sixth, a two-run shot in the third that also scored Trea Turner, giving Philadelphia a 4-0 lead.

Chicago briefly responded in the fourth when Dansby Swanson cracked a two-run homer off Sánchez, his third of the year, scoring Carson Kelly. That cut the deficit to 4-2, but the Phillies’ explosive fifth immediately snuffed out the Cubs’ momentum.

Philadelphia continued to add on in the sixth. García doubled home a run, Bohm drove in another with a groundout and Realmuto collected his third hit of the night, an RBI single that made it 12-2. Realmuto finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs, while Marsh went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs. García also had three hits.

The Cubs showed late life against the Phillies’ bullpen, plating five runs in the eighth inning to make the scoreline more respectable. The rally was aided by Philadelphia miscues, including a throwing error by Marsh in right field and a fielding error by Bohm at third base. RBI singles from pinch-hitter Moisés Ballesteros, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki highlighted the inning, which saw 10 men come to the plate.

However, the Phillies had already secured an insurance run in the seventh on an RBI single from Marsh, which was set up by a throwing error from Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson.

Orion Kerkering, Seth Johnson and the Philadelphia relief corps navigated the final four innings, with Kerkering recording key outs in the sixth to strand two runners. The Cubs finished with 11 hits but grounded into two double plays and left eight men on base.

The victory defied the pregame projections, which heavily favored a lower-scoring affair. The combined 20 runs sailed over the projected total, and the Phillies’ margin of victory easily covered the spread.

The two teams will continue their four-game series on Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park.