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Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Justin Turner's first home run of the season
Justin Turner hits a home run to left center field to put the Cubs on the board in the top of the 3rd inning
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pete Crow-Armstrong hits 2 HR with 6 RBI for Cubs after Red Sox's Rafael Devers drives in 8 with 2 HR
Pete Crow-Armstrong's grand slam in the eighth inning lifted the Chicago Cubs to an 8-6 lead and an eventual 13-6 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night. Armstrong hit two home runs with six RBI, putting him among the league leaders in both categories in what's been an impressive start to his 2025 season. Crow-Armstrong's first homer was a two-run shot in the fourth that put the Cubs on the board after falling behind 4-0. Reds pitcher Hunter Greene threw a 100-mph fastball on the outside edge of the strike zone, yet Crow-Armstrong still pulled it into the right field seats. The grand slam came with a bit more suspense to it. Crow-Armstrong yanked a hanging Tony Santillan slider down the right field line and seemingly willed the fly ball to go fair. The play was reviewed but the home run was upheld, giving Chicago its first lead of the game after falling behind by four runs twice to that point. With 14 home runs, Crow-Armstrong is tied for third in MLB behind four players with 17 and another two who have 15. And his 45 RBI are also tied for third, just behind teammate Seiya Suzuki's 46. Suzuki had had three RBI of his own in Friday's win. Just don't ask Crow-Armstrong how he's doing it. Asked what goes through his mind when he thinks about leading MLB in home runs since April 13, he replied, "Nothing." PCA gives one of the great postgame answers of all time. @Cubs #GoCubsGo #FlyTheW — Billy Krumb (@ClubhouseCancer) May 24, 2025 Suzuki and Crow-Armstrong both trail Boston Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers, who has 47 RBI after driving in eight runs in a 19-8 defeat of the Baltimore Orioles earlier in the day. Devers also blasted two home runs, the first of them a three-run shot in the sixth off Orioles reliever Gregory Soto. Soto's slider caught enough of the inside part of the plate for Devers to crush to right-center field for a 6-2 Boston lead. In the eighth, the Red Sox's designated hitter drove in another five runs in two separate at-bats. He began with an RBI single that drove in Jarren Duran. Devers then returned to the plate with Boston leading 11-3, and Baltimore decided to use third baseman Emmanuel Rivera as a pitcher to give the bullpen a break. Rivera tried to get by with arching eephus pitches but Devers timed the fourth one, which hung in the middle of the strike zone and was launched into the right field bullpen. raffy granny — Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) May 23, 2025 Devers' big day came after Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman left the game after pulling his right quad muscle while rounding first base in the fifth inning. That immediately prompted questions as to whether or not Devers might return to his former position at third base if Bregman is sidelined for a while. Yet Devers' performance probably answered that by demonstrating emphatically how comfortable he is at DH right now. With 12 home runs, he currently ranks fifth in MLB to go with his league-leading RBI total. In May, Devers is batting .419/.517/.757 with seven homers and 28 RBI. That 0-for-19 start with 15 strikeouts is long gone. And presumably, Red Sox manager Alex Cora is not going to mess with that.
New York Times
19-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Behind another exciting Pete Crow-Armstrong game, the Cubs sweep the White Sox
CHICAGO — Pete Crow-Armstrong is turning into a Bears quarterback, because we have to talk about him and to him every game. The difference, of course, is that it's for positive reasons. The young man known by his three initials is already a can't-miss kind of athlete. If the game's on TV and he's at the plate, on base, or, heck, just in the outfield, you don't leave the screen until he's back in the dugout because you never know what he'll do. Advertisement And just to prove there is no task too large for him, Crow-Armstrong almost single-handedly saved the first leg of the crosstown series from turning into a three-day snooze-fest. When it comes to Chicago baseball, you might say PCA has got more pop than the pope. In Friday's series-opening 13-3 win, the leadoff hitter went 4-for-5 with a three-run homer and six RBIs. In Saturday's 7-3 victory, he collected two hits, including a triple and a two-run single. And in the finale, a 6-2 Cubs clincher, he hit a triple to open the bottom of the first and added a double down the right-field line. He scored two runs, showing off his speed. Seiya Suzuki's sac fly drives in PCA 👏 — Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) May 18, 2025 So, if you're scoring at home, the Cubs (28-19) outscored the Sox (14-33) 26-8 in these three day games and PCA went 8-for-14 with a homer, a double and two triples, 8 RBIs and four runs scored in front of crowds eclipsing 40,000 all weekend. (On Sunday, Vidal Bruján scored on Crow-Armstrong's double down the first-base line, but it wasn't counted as an RBI.) 'I love feeding off a good Wrigley crowd,' Crow-Armstrong said. 'There's no bad day when the bleachers are filled.' If you thought Sunday's installation of Pope Konerko XIV, sorry I mean Leo XIV, was going to bless the Sox, well, you weren't counting on the Cubs' new saint of center field. Still, it might've made sense to think the Sox could steal a game here based on recent precedent. The North Siders were 0-3 at home on Sunday this season and in six previous three-game series where they won the first two games, the only time they finished off the sweep was in Sacramento on April 2. They hadn't swept a three-game series over the Sox since 2008. Then again, you should always bet the streak too, right? Advertisement The Cubs have now won eight straight games in this series, which is their longest run in the rivalry. Each team swept the other at their home park in 2008, that magical season in which both teams made the playoffs and people were talking about a rematch of the 1906 World Series. Those were the days when anything could happen in a Cubs-White Sox series. These are the days when the only thing that seems to happen is a dwindling group of reporters lamenting how the series used to mean something. I'm embarrassed by myself whenever I ask a player about the rivalry, but old habits linger. We used to have Ozzie Guillen, the manager, talking about the Wrigley Field rats being as big as Sammy Sosa, A.J. Pierzynski stirring it up, Michael Barrett inciting a brawl by punching Pierzynski, Lou Piniella ripping Steve Stone, Piniella ejecting his own players from his dugout because they were being annoying (which happened two years in a row). Heck, we once had writers from the same newspaper almost come to blows in the Wrigley Field press box during this series. But there's no tension anymore in this rivalry and few personalities to juice a rivalry. We didn't even see Guillen, now the team's pre- and postgame host, at the ballpark this week, which was a bummer, though I did hear him talking about the rats on the radio Friday morning. At least we have PCA, who along with his offensive exploits, also made several highlight-reel catches in the first two games. As our Patrick Mooney just wrote, he's putting his name in the NL MVP conversation. Beyond his actual contributions on the field, he's also just really, really entertaining to watch. It's not an act either. PCA is SPEED. — Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) May 18, 2025 'I think baseball brings it out of all of us, if anything,' he said of his on-field flair. 'It's about the sport, it's about the competition and wanting to win so badly every day. It's really just baseball pulling it out of me specifically, but I think a lot of people probably feed off the game the same way.' The other star of the series was a more unlikely one in the White Sox's Miguel Vargas, who cemented his status as the best third baseman in town. (To be fair, Cubs prospect Matt Shaw is likely on his way back from Iowa.) Vargas hit his third homer of the series Sunday, which is also half of his season total. (The Sox have homered in 19 consecutive games at Wrigley, which reminded me of that 2020 series when they hit 12 in three games in an empty ballpark.) Vargas has been on a tear since his batting average dropped to .139 on April 21. In the 22 games since, he's hitting .350 with 11 extra-base hits and 15 RBIs. They're even selling his jersey at the Sox ballpark now. (You might have to look for it, though.) Advertisement Vargas was acquired in what looked like a stone-cold loser of a deadline trade by Sox general manager Chris Getz last season. He's been so hot that when Cubs reliever Brad Keller hit him with an inside fastball in the eighth, he took umbrage with it. Keller was a bit confused, but nothing came of it. No beanball exchange or postgame war of words. In a more heated era, even without intent, maybe that pitch is stored away for months — the teams face off again on July 25-27 on the South Side — but this weekend, there was no blood-boiling drama at Wrigley Field. It was just what we expected: a first-place team beating up on a last-place one and a young Cubs star showing everyone what he's capable of.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong Throws Shot at White Sox After Record-Setting Day
The Chicago Cubs have an excellent opportunity to take care of business over the next two days, beating the Chicago White Sox 13-3 on Friday. For a Cubs team that would love to sweep and extend their lead in the National League Central after struggling a bit in their last 10 games, there's no better opponent to play than their cross-town rival. Speaking to reporters after his career game, Pete Crow-Armstrong, who finished Friday with six RBI, a home run, four hits, and two runs, threw a shot at the White Sox, something all Cubs fans will love to hear. Advertisement 'I'd like to say it's passion rather than emotion,' Crow-Armstrong said, per Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. 'I think passion is when you see, like, the real joy. Emotion kind of goes both ways, where it's sometimes what takes me, anybody, out of a game. But, nah, starting the way we started today feels great. It's nice seeing the crosstown fans leave early.' Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) scores a run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third inning at Chase Scuteri-Imagn Images Crow-Armstrong has quickly become a favorite in Chicago, as he's somebody who has proven to be an elite talent on all sides of the baseball. Not only has he shown the ability to leave the yard, make plays in the outfield, and steal bases, but he also brings a different type of fire and passion to the game. The Cubs will take on the White Sox on Saturday afternoon, looking to come away with another dominant win. Advertisement With how bad the White Sox have been over the past year and a half, there's no excuse for them not to get the job done. Related: Cubs' Matt Shaw Gets Bad Prediction Despite Justin Turner's Below-Average Play
New York Times
17-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The potential Pete Crow-Armstrong MVP season is starting to happen for the Chicago Cubs
CHICAGO — As Chicago Cubs officials contemplated the idea of star power — how to acquire it, develop it and maximize it — they also held out hope for an internal solution. In breaking up the 2016 World Series team, someone had to fill the void at Wrigley Field, capture the imagination of fans and produce monster 7 WAR seasons. Though far from a guaranteed outcome, one hypothetical centered on: What if everything clicked for Pete Crow-Armstrong? Advertisement You're looking at it right now: The Cubs in first place. Crow-Armstrong making leaping catches at the ivy and hitting home runs into the bleachers. Fans chanting 'P-C-A!' and roaring when he drives the ball into the right-field corner, knowing that's an easy triple with his speed. It's already picking up, the All-Star Game buzz and MVP chatter. 'That's irrelevant to what I do on a daily basis,' Crow-Armstrong said. 'Simple as that.' This timeline would have sounded aggressive, if not unrealistic, during the early stages of this rebuild. Just last month, Crow-Armstrong was stuck on zero home runs through 73 plate appearances, with a batting average below .200. Negotiations around a long-term contract extension had fizzled and become a story. Though Crow-Armstrong's floor appeared to be secure as a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder, his career ceiling was undefined. He looked overmatched as a September call-up in 2023, and even a good second half to his rookie season still left him as a below-average major-league hitter. Perhaps this would be a year with some more growing pains, which would be fine if Kyle Tucker carried the Cubs back into the playoffs. But then Crow-Armstrong blasted two home runs on April 13 at Dodger Stadium. He even blew a kiss to his parents behind home plate, which became a signature moment of ESPN's 'Sunday Night Baseball' broadcast and the start of his unreal hot streak. 'Every time he comes up to the plate,' Cubs catcher Carson Kelly said, 'you know something awesome might happen.' It happened again during Saturday afternoon's 7-3 win over the Chicago White Sox at the Friendly Confines, where a crowd of 40,134 watched Crow-Armstrong line a two-run single into center field, steal his 14th base and hustle for a triple. He has played in all of the club's 46 games, producing 12 homers, 38 RBIs, 34 runs scored and an .891 OPS, all while lighting up the defensive metrics. PCA is speeeeeeeeed. 😮💨 — Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 17, 2025 This is why Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer likes to call it a young man's game. Entering Saturday, the five players who have generated the highest WAR so far this season, according to FanGraphs, are Aaron Judge (4.1), Bobby Witt Jr. (2.8), Shohei Ohtani (2.8), Corbin Carroll (2.8) and Crow-Armstrong (2.8). Advertisement 'Pete's young,' Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. 'When you have players that are this young, they come to the big leagues, and you think, 'This is what they are.' And he's 23. Most guys haven't made their debut yet. So that's the beauty of getting to the big leagues at that age. 'It means you've succeeded against older players and in player development in the minor leagues. But it also means you're just new to this. He's a talented kid. He was a first-round pick for a reason. It's fun watching what's possible with players like this.' Growing up in Southern California, Crow-Armstrong was well known in baseball circles at an early age. He played for USA Baseball at multiple levels of international competition, beginning with the 12-and-under national team. He graduated from the prestigious Harvard-Westlake School, which previously produced first-round picks Max Fried, Lucas Giolito and Jack Flaherty. The Cubs passed on Crow-Armstrong in the 2020 MLB Draft, but they got a second chance to acquire him in the Javier Báez deal with the New York Mets at the 2021 trade deadline, a franchise-altering day in so many ways. 'I always knew he was going to be a star,' said Cubs pitcher Cade Horton, the No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft, who remembered watching Crow-Armstrong play in high school. 'But this year, he's really found a groove, and it's awesome to watch. I love playing with guys like that, guys that just want to win and will do anything to help their team. 'He works hard. He knows what he's good at. He's going to cause chaos on the bases. He's going to hit home runs. He's going to make plays in center. He's got all the tools.' The Cubs have needed Crow-Armstrong's MVP-level stretch while leadoff man Ian Happ and All-Star pitchers Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele are on the injured list. After a great start, Tucker has cooled off a bit. Ryan Pressly lost his job as the closer. Amid those issues, the record is 27-19, and the hardest part of the schedule was front-loaded. Advertisement As flashy as Crow-Armstrong's play can be between the lines, off the field, his demeanor is mild-mannered and introspective. 'This feeling's fleeting,' he said. 'It doesn't always stay.' Crow-Armstrong credited hitting coaches Dustin Kelly and John Mallee for helping him find a consistent stance that accentuates his athleticism. Crow-Armstrong acknowledged it's easier to hit with runners on base, in a deep lineup anchored by Tucker and Seiya Suzuki. Crow-Armstrong appreciated how teammates such as Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner encouraged him while he was struggling. In terms of approach, Crow-Armstrong also gave a shoutout to Justin Turner, the team's 40-year-old hitting guru. Whether you're feeling good or bad, Crow-Armstrong said, the main focus is 'being able to go up there like it's 0-for-0 every time.' In the end, that sense of discipline and concentration makes a long career and truly turns a player into a star. It's just happening faster than anyone could have anticipated.
