CHICAGO — Isaac Paredes hit a three-run homer in the first, and Shota Imanaga handcuffed the Twins over seven innings as the Chicago Cubs ended Minnesota’s five-game winning streak with a 7-3 victory Tuesday night in front of 36,653 at Wrigley Field.

With a cool wind blowing in from right field at 14 mph, a couple of home runs provided most of the scoring. Paredes hit his shot off Pablo Lopez in the first to give the Cubs a lead they’d never relinquish.

Royce Lewis hit a two-run shot in the fourth to make it 4-2, and Christian Vazquez added a solo shot in the eighth off Drew Smyly to cut Chicago’s lead to 6-3, but the Twins never really challenged, managing only three hits all night.

Minnesota lost a half-game in the American League Central Division race to the first-place Guardians, who were rained out in Cleveland.

Isaac Paredes #17 of the Chicago Cubs is congratulated by Seiya Suzuki #27 and Cody Bellinger #24 of the Chicago Cubs following a three-run home run during the first inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins at Wrigley Field on Aug. 06, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)

Imanaga (9-2) matched his career high with 10 strikeouts, the last against Jose Miranda leading off the seventh. The Cubs’ ace was charged with two runs on two hits and a walk in seven innings.

Lopez (10-8) pitched five innings before being relieved by Randy Dobnak. He allowed four earned runs on seven hits and a walk. He struck out two, matching a season low from a 4-2 loss to Cleveland on April 4.

The Cubs jumped on Lopez with a two-out rally in the first inning. After the right-hander retired Ian Happ and Michael Busch on fly balls, Selya Suzuki and Cody Bellinger singled, and Suzuki moved to third on a throwing error by second baseman Brooks Lee.

That brought Paredes to the plate with runners and first and third, and the Cubs’ new third baseman drilled a high liner to left that just made the basket in the well for a three-run home run that put the Twins in an immediate hole.

Chicago built on that lead in the third. Busch started the inning with a walk, and after two flyouts, Paredes dumped a single into shallow right. Busch was running on the play and scored easily to make it 4-0.

On the other side,  Imanaga was rolling, retiring Minnesota in order in the first three innings. But after he fanned leadoff hitter Manny Margot to start the fourth, Carlos Santana drew a walk, and Lewis took the first pitch he got from Imanaga and planted it in the short well in left-center to cut the Cubs’ lead to 4-2.

It was Lewis’ 14th home run in 35 games this season, and 31st in 105 career games.

Imanaga retired eight of the next nine batters he faced, allowing only Lee’s leadoff double in the sixth inning, while the Cubs added two runs in their half of the sixth. After Nico Hoerner reached on a fielder’s choice, Dansby Swanson hit a high drive into right-center off of Dobnak. That eluded a diving Austin Martin for a run-scoring triple to make it 5-2.

Swanson then scored on a Dobnak wild pitch to make it 6-2.

Making his third major league appearance since 2021, Dobnak retired the first two batters in the eighth before three straight singles by Swanson, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Miguel Amaya plated the Cubs’ seventh run.