The Chicago Cubs marked Independence Day with a power surge, belting a franchise-record eight home runs in an 11–3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals before 40,038 at Wrigley Field. The win was the National League Central leaders’ fourth in a row and pushed their division cushion to 6.5 games. First baseman Michael Busch supplied the biggest fireworks, going 4-for-4 with three homers and five RBIs for his first career three-homer game. Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong matched Busch’s perfect day at the plate and added two long balls, while Seiya Suzuki, Dansby Swanson and Carson Kelly each went deep once. Chicago connected for six of its homers in the opening three innings, all off starter Miles Mikolas, setting a record for the most home runs surrendered by a Cardinals pitcher in one outing. The eight round-trippers surpassed the Cubs’ previous single-game mark of seven and made them only the second club this season, after the New York Yankees, to hit at least eight in a contest. The Major League record remains 10, set by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1987. The series resumes Saturday, with left-hander Matthew Liberatore scheduled for St. Louis and Chicago yet to name a replacement for injured right-hander Jameson Taillon.