Pete Crow-Armstrong turned Wrigley Field into his own curtain call Wednesday night, driving the Cubs past Atlanta 8-4 with two home runs, a triple and three RBIs while the crowd kept returning to its MVP chant.
Pete Crow-Armstrong puts another stamp on Cubs season
Chicago’s 24-year-old center fielder went 3-for-4, scored three times and piled up 11 total bases as the Cubs continued their push for an NL wild-card berth. His first homer was No. 43 on the year, moving him past Billy Williams for the franchise’s single-season home run mark by a left-handed hitter. His next one made it 44.
| Team | Runs |
|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves | 4 |
| Chicago Cubs | 8 |
| Player | AB | H | R | RBI | HR | 3B | Total Bases |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Crow-Armstrong | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
The Wrigley crowd first broke into “M-V-P” after Crow-Armstrong’s record-setting homer. It returned after the RBI triple and again after the second long ball, his seventh two-homer game of the season.
There was even appreciation when the big moment did not go his way. With the bases full in the eighth, Crow-Armstrong struck out on five pitches, then received a standing ovation while heading back to the Chicago dugout.
A season with company from Banks and Cruz
Crow-Armstrong’s 44 homers match Ernie Banks’ 1955 total for the most by a Cubs player age 24 or younger. He sits one home run behind Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber for the major league lead.
His six games with at least 10 total bases are tied for the most in a season since 1900. Nelson Cruz also reached six such games in 2019.
For the season, Crow-Armstrong is batting .283 with 105 RBIs, 29 doubles and 37 stolen bases. With 40 steals within reach, he is closing on the first 40-homer, 40-steal season in Cubs history, while providing Gold Glove-level work in center field.
His surge has continued while Shohei Ohtani remains on the injured list because of inflammation in his right biceps, and Crow-Armstrong has moved from breakout star to a leading MVP candidate in the eyes of the home crowd.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said the season has reached the kind of level that leaves even longtime baseball people searching for perspective. He told Alex Bregman that players do not often get to witness something like it on a field, adding that Chicago fans will remember this year and pass the stories along to their children and grandchildren.
Crow-Armstrong, meanwhile, said he has kept his approach uncomplicated. He said he prefers to stay low-key, as he always has, and credited a strong support system for helping him handle the attention.
Winning starter Shota Imanaga had his own way of measuring the center fielder’s run. Through an interpreter, Imanaga said terms such as great and excellent no longer seemed enough, and joked that he would need to find a new English word for Crow-Armstrong’s performance.
SEO Title: Pete Crow-Armstrong Hits Two Homers as Cubs Beat Braves 8-4
SEO Description: Pete Crow-Armstrong went 3-for-4 with two home runs, a triple and three RBIs at Wrigley Field, leading the Cubs to an 8-4 win over Atlanta.
