The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Chicago Cubs 8-5 on Wednesday night, fueled by home runs from Nick Castellanos, Edmundo Sosa, and Josh Harrison. Castellanos' three-run blast in the second inning off Drew Smyly followed Sosa's earlier two-run shot, giving the Phillies an early advantage. Castellanos also contributed an RBI double and scored in a two-run fourth, enjoying his return to Wrigley Field, where he played in 2019.

Harrison extended the Phillies' lead with a solo home run in the fifth inning off Hayden Wesneski, making the score 8-2. This offensive outburst helped Philadelphia overcome a less-than-stellar start by Aaron Nola, who allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings. Despite Nola's shorter outing, the Phillies secured their 17th win in 22 games and their eighth consecutive road victory, matching their longest such streak since 2011.

For the Cubs, Jared Young hit his first career home run in the third inning, and Dansby Swanson added a solo shot in the fifth. Smyly struggled, allowing seven runs and nine hits in just 3 2/3 innings, matching his season highs. Wesneski provided some relief, giving up only one run and two hits in 4 1/3 innings. The Cubs have now lost three straight games following a stretch where they won nine of 10.

In injury news, Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman, who exited Sunday's game with a blister, is expected to throw a bullpen session on Thursday and shouldn't miss a start. Third baseman Patrick Wisdom began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa for his sprained wrist. Outfielder Seiya Suzuki was sidelined with a stiff neck, and pitcher Brandon Hughes underwent knee surgery.

The series concludes with a pitching matchup between the Phillies' Taijuan Walker (8-3, 4.10 ERA) and the Cubs' Kyle Hendricks (3-2, 2.60). Both pitchers enter the game on a hot streak, with Walker having won his last four starts and Hendricks his last three.