CHICAGO (Interstat) — The Chicago Cubs erupted for seven runs in the first inning and never looked back, trouncing the Toronto Blue Jays 16-2 on Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field.

A crowd of 40,275 watched the Cubs improve to 40-36 while the Blue Jays dropped to 37-39. The game lasted 2 hours 54 minutes.

Chicago’s offense collected 18 hits, matching its second-highest total of the season. Toronto managed five hits.

The Cubs struck immediately against Toronto starter Kevin Gausman. Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman drew one-out walks before Michael Busch grounded out, advancing both runners. Seiya Suzuki followed with a double to right-center that plated Crow-Armstrong and Bregman, tying the game 2-2. Ian Happ walked, Matt Shaw walked to load the bases and Nico Hoerner struck out for the second out.

Carson Kelly then crushed a grand slam to left-center field, his fourth homer of the season, scoring Suzuki, Happ and Shaw to make it 6-2. Dansby Swanson singled and Crow-Armstrong reached on an infield single deflected by Gausman. Bregman singled to left, scoring Swanson for a 7-2 lead before Busch grounded out to end the inning.

That seven-run outburst proved decisive. Gausman lasted only two innings, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and five walks. He fell to 4-5 on the season.

Toronto answered in the third. Andrés Giménez doubled to right and scored on a single by George Springer, cutting the deficit to 7-3.

The Blue Jays chipped away again in the sixth. Springer led off with a solo home run to left, his eighth of the year, making it 7-4.

But Chicago put the game away with a four-run sixth and a five-run seventh.

In the sixth, Suzuki walked and Ian Happ singled. After Matt Shaw struck out, Nico Hoerner singled to load the bases. Kelly walked to force in Suzuki for an 8-4 lead. Dansby Swanson walked to force in Happ for 9-4. Crow-Armstrong singled to right to score Hoerner for 10-4. Bregman grounded into a force out that scored Kelly for 11-4 before Busch ended the inning.

The seventh saw more damage. Happ singled and Shaw reached on a fielder’s choice that loaded the bases after an error by second baseman Davis Schneider. Hoerner grounded out, scoring Happ for 12-4. Kelly singled to score Shaw for 13-4. Swanson walked to load the bases again. Pinch-hitter Justin Dean tripled to right-center, clearing the bases for a 15-4 lead. Pedro Ramírez singled to left, scoring Dean for 16-4. Busch and Suzuki followed with singles before Michael Conforto popped out.

Toronto’s bullpen provided some effective work. Spencer Miles pitched two-thirds of an inning, allowing one hit and no earned runs. Tommy Nance threw one and one-third scoreless innings with no hits. But Brendon Little took the loss in relief, allowing four earned runs on two hits in one inning.

Offensively for Toronto, Springer went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. Giménez was 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Davis Schneider went 1-for-3, Nathan Lukes went 1-for-3 with a double. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Jesús Sánchez, Yohendrick Piñango, Alejandro Kirk, Kazuma Okamoto and Charles McAdoo combined for no hits in 19 at-bats.

For Chicago, Suzuki had three hits including a double, two walks and three runs scored. Kelly had two hits, including the grand slam, with five RBIs and a walk. Crow-Armstrong had two hits, two walks and two runs. Happ had two hits, two walks and two runs. Bregman had two hits and two RBIs. Hoerner had two hits and an RBI. Dean had the triple and three RBIs. Ramírez had a hit and an RBI. Swanson had a hit and two walks.

Ben Brown earned the win, improving to 4-2. He pitched six innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and no walks.

The game’s most critical moment came in the first inning when Kelly’s grand slam turned a 2-2 tie into a 6-2 Cubs lead, effectively breaking the game open before Toronto could establish any momentum.

Toronto had entered the game on a three-game winning streak, having swept a series at Boston. The Blue Jays won 4-3 on Thursday, 3-0 on Wednesday and 6-1 on Tuesday. Prior to that, they lost three of four at home to the New York Yankees.

Chicago had split a three-game home series with Colorado, winning 8-6 on Wednesday but losing 5-2 on Tuesday and 5-4 on Monday before the series opener was postponed. The Cubs had lost five of their previous seven games.

The series continues Saturday and Sunday at Wrigley Field. Toronto then returns home for a six-game homestand against Houston and Texas. Chicago travels to New York for a four-game set against the Mets before visiting Milwaukee.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Chicago Cubs 6, Toronto Blue Jays 5. Interstat’s ELO system had projected the Cubs with a 51.90 percent probability to win. Chicago had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 18 went under the over/under line of 7.5.