CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Busch and Seiya Suzuki homered to help the Chicago Cubs beat the slumping Philadelphia Phillies 7-2 on Wednesday night for their eighth consecutive win.
Pete Crow-Armstrong had three hits and two RBIs for Chicago, and Alex Bregman also collected three hits. Matthew Boyd made a successful return from a biceps injury, pitching 4 2/3 innings of two-run ball in his first big league start since April 1.
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Chicago Cubs designated hitter Moisés Ballesteros (25) celebrates with Alex Bregman (3) after scoring on a single from Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Schwarber (12) returns to the dugout after striking out during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Bryce Harper (3) returns to the dugout after grounding out during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Chicago Cubs' Seiya Suzuki (27) hits a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Chicago Cubs' Seiya Suzuki, right, celebrates with third base coach Quintin Berry after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
The Cubs have outscored their opponents 58-20 during the franchise's longest win streak since it also won eight in a row from July 21-29, 2023. It's the longest such streak for the club within the month of April since an 11-game run in 1970.
The Phillies dropped their eighth straight game in their longest skid since they lost nine in a row in September 2018. They played without J.T. Realmuto after the catcher was placed on the 10-day injured list because of back spasms.
Taijuan Walker surrendered four earned runs and eight hits in four innings in his second straight loss. Kyle Backhus worked the first as an opener before Walker (1-4) came in.
The Cubs scored two runs in the third to take a 4-2 lead. Bregman led off with his first triple since June 14, 2024, for Houston against Detroit. He trotted home on Ian Happ's single to left.
After Suzuki bounced into a double play, Busch hit a 375-foot drive to left-center for his first homer of the season. The 28-year-old Busch hit a career-high 34 homers last year.
Suzuki connected for a two-run shot in the fifth. It was his second homer since he missed the start of the season with a knee injury.
Ben Brown (1-0) replaced Boyd and pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the win. He allowed three hits, struck out five and walked none.
Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez (2-2, 1.59 ERA) and Cubs right-hander Edward Cabrera (2-0, 2.38 ERA) take the mound for the finale of the four-game series on Thursday.
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Chicago Cubs designated hitter Moisés Ballesteros (25) celebrates with Alex Bregman (3) after scoring on a single from Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Schwarber (12) returns to the dugout after striking out during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Bryce Harper (3) returns to the dugout after grounding out during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Chicago Cubs' Seiya Suzuki (27) hits a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Chicago Cubs' Seiya Suzuki, right, celebrates with third base coach Quintin Berry after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
INSTITUTE, W.Va. (AP) — A chemical leak at a West Virginia silver recovery business on Wednesday killed two people and sent about 30 others to hospitals, including one in serious condition, authorities said.
The leak occurred at the Catalyst Refiners plant in Institute as workers were preparing to shut down at least part of the facility, Kanawha County Commission Emergency Management Director C.W. Sigman said.
A chemical gas reaction occurred at the plant involving nitric acid and another substance, Sigman said at a news briefing. He added that there was "a violent reaction of the chemicals and it instantaneously overreacted.”
“Starting or ending a chemical reaction are the most dangerous times,” Sigman said.
The chemical reaction that was believed to have occurred during a cleaning process produced toxic hydrogen sulfide, Kanawha County Commission President Ben Salango said.
Among the injured were seven ambulance workers responding to the leak, officials said.
“We know that the first responders, they always run to the fire. They put themselves in harm’s way,” Gov. Patrick Morrisey said at an evening news conference. “We’re very grateful to these brave men and women and what they do. And they’re in our prayers, and we’re monitoring the recovery of those transported to our local hospitals.”
Other people were taken to the hospitals in private cars or even in one case a garbage truck, Sigman said.
Morrisey said one person was in serious condition.
Vandalia Health Charleston Area Medical Center, one of several hospitals in the area, was treating multiple patients, some brought by ambulance, while members of the community were arriving Wednesday afternoon asking to be checked, hospital spokesman Dale Witte said.
Witte said patients were experiencing respiratory symptoms including cough, shortness of breath, sore throat and itchy eyes. They were being evaluated in the emergency room.
WVU Medicine Thomas Memorial Hospital in South Charleston said in a statement it has cared for a dozen patients, including eight who arrived by personal vehicle and were not at the scene but were in the area at the time. It said those injuries were not considered life-threatening.
A shelter-in-place order was issued for the surrounding area and lifted more than five hours later. Officials said all the deaths occurred on the plant site.
“You had to get really close to the facility to smell it,” Sigman said.
The leak required a large-scale decontamination operation in which people had to remove their clothes and be sprayed down, authorities said.
Morrisey said it's believed the local air quality and water supply were unaffected.
Catalyst Refiners works to remove silver from what remains of chemical processes. Ames Goldsmith Corp., the owner of Catalyst Refiners, said it is saddened by the deaths and its thoughts were with all those impacted and their families.
“This is an unfathomably difficult time,” company President Frank Barber said in a statement released at the briefing. “Our thoughts and prayers are with our colleagues and their families.”
Ames Goldsmith promised to work with local, state and federal officials as they investigate the leak. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation into what happened, a spokesperson said, adding that the agency has six months to complete its examination.
Silver is in a number of items ranging from circuit boards and other electronics, photographic and X-Ray films and jewelry. Nitric acid is used to dissolve materials, leaving behind silver nitrate that can be processed to recover pure silver. Recovery businesses can also crush or sandblast items with silver and use magnets or differences in density to sort out the precious metal.
Sigman said Ames Goldsmith recovers silver from the various plants at the Institute complex "and they'll use it again. When they vacuum their carpets in their office, they recover so many thousands of dollars’ worth of silver out of it just vacuuming their carpets.”
The plant is located near Institute, a community about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of Charleston, the state capital. The plant is in a region known as West Virginia’s “chemical valley,” although many plants that lined the area along the Kanawha River and produced hazardous materials have closed or changed ownership in the past several decades.
Associated Press writers Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Kristin M. Hall in Nashville, Tennessee,.contributed to this report.
Following a chemical spill in the region, a decontamination tent is shown outside of WVU Medicine Thomas Memorial Hospital on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in South Charleston, W.Va. (AP Photo/John Raby)
Kanawha County Commission Emergency Management Director C.W. Sigman speaks at a news conference Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Charleston, W.Va. (AP Photo/John Raby)
Kanawha County Commission Emergency Management Director C.W. Sigman speaks at a news conference Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Charleston, W.Va. (AP Photo/John Raby)
Police block a road near a chemical plant where a leak occurred Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Institute, W.Va. (AP Photo/John Raby)
