The two teams had split a pair of tight ones already in this series, including a walk-off finish, so nobody was projecting a laugher walking in. That read didn't last long.
Seattle actually struck first, scratching across single runs in each of the first 2 innings to grab an early 2-0 edge behind Miller. It was the high point of the Mariners' afternoon. Chicago answered with a 5-run 3rd, tacked on single runs in the 5th and 6th to retake control, and from there it was only a matter of how bad it would get.
It got very bad. The Cubs blew the game open with a 9-run 8th inning and piled on 3 more in the 9th, finishing with 17 hits and 19 runs against a Seattle staff that had nothing left in the tank. Whatever momentum the Mariners built with their weekend wins evaporated in the span of about 2 innings.
The final line also tells you plenty about where each roster stands. Chicago's lineup did the damage even with Dansby Swanson and Matt Shaw both out, a reminder of how deep the Cubs are built even without 2 regulars. Seattle's day, by contrast, got worse before it started — losing Donovan to a concussion the same day their bats went silent for 7 straight innings.
For a Mariners team still fighting to get back to .500, this is the kind of afternoon that lingers. For the Cubs, it's a reminder that even after 3 losses in a row, this roster can turn a game into a rout in the blink of an eye.