On a partly cloudy afternoon at Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs (81-60, 2nd in NL Central) unleashed a barrage of home runs to overpower the Washington Nationals (56-84, 5th in NL East) 11-5 on September 5, 2025. The game, attended by 32,320 fans, showcased the Cubs’ offensive firepower, with four home runs, including a three-run blast by Dansby Swanson, securing a decisive victory in the series opener. For Southern Maryland baseball fans, many of whom follow the Nationals as their regional team, the loss highlighted the challenges of a rebuilding season but offered glimpses of promise from young players.
The Cubs struck early, capitalizing on a shaky performance by Nationals starter Jake Irvin (8-11, 5.71 ERA), who took the loss after allowing seven runs on five hits in 3.1 innings. In the first inning, Swanson’s three-run homer, his 22nd of the season, set the tone, driving in Ian Happ and Pete Crow-Armstrong to give Chicago a 3-0 lead. Reese McGuire followed with a solo shot in the second, his eighth, pushing the score to 4-0. The Nationals responded in the fourth when Luis García Jr. hit a two-run homer off Cubs starter Javier Assad, scoring Josh Bell to cut the deficit to 4-2.
Chicago pulled away in the sixth, with Nico Hoerner’s solo home run off reliever Shintaro Ogasawara and two-run singles by Crow-Armstrong and Starlin Castro, extending the lead to 9-2. Happ’s 20th homer in the eighth off Konnor Pilkington, followed by another two-run single from Castro, sealed the 11-5 rout. The Nationals mounted a late rally in the seventh, with Zach Lile’s two-run triple and García’s sacrifice fly driving in three runs, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap.
The Cubs’ offense was relentless, amassing 10 hits, including six extra-base hits. Hoerner led with a 4-for-2 performance, including a homer and a double, while Swanson and Castro each drove in three runs. Crow-Armstrong added two RBIs and a stolen base, his 32nd of the season, reinforcing Chicago’s aggressive baserunning [https://www.mlb.com/cubs/stats]. The Nationals managed six hits, with Lile’s two triples and García’s homer pacing their effort. García drove in three runs, and Lile added two, but Washington’s 2-for-3 with runners in scoring position couldn’t match Chicago’s 2-for-9 efficiency.
Assad (2-1, 4.62 ERA) earned the win for the Cubs, allowing four runs on three hits over 5.1 innings, striking out four. The Cubs’ bullpen, featuring Caleb Thielbar, Andrew Kittredge, Taylor Rogers, and Porter Hodge, held firm, with Hodge closing out the ninth. Washington’s relief corps struggled, with Orlando Ribalta and Ogasawara each allowing two runs, and Pilkington surrendering three. The Nationals’ pitching staff issued eight walks and hit one batter, contributing to Chicago’s offensive outburst.
Defensively, the Cubs were sharp, turning two double plays, including one by Hoerner, Swanson, and Michael Busch. The Nationals committed no errors but struggled to contain Chicago’s base runners, with Swanson and Crow-Armstrong stealing bases off catcher Riley Adams.
