Crow-Armstrong’s extended – Pete Crow-Armstrong has extended his on-base run to 23 games for the Cubs, adding more walks to his game as he learns how to be selective without losing his aggression. Miguel Amaya’s growing on-base impact and a smooth outing from Colin Rea—plus key bullpen t
When Pete Crow-Armstrong reaches base now, it feels like something the Cubs are choosing—not something that simply happens.
This season, he has carried that idea forward in a very specific way. He extended his on-base streak to 23 games with a two-out, fourth-inning walk against the Blue Jays’ Patrick Corbin. The walk was Crow-Armstrong’s 28th of the season in his 77th game. just one behind the career-high 29 he set last year.
Manager Craig Counsell didn’t treat it like a detour from the player the Cubs expected. “He’s in swing mode. It’s kind of his thing,” Counsell said. “Now it is a little bit like he’s learned he can be in swing mode and still not swing. That’s how he should be.”
The Cubs loaded the bases in the fourth but didn’t score, yet the inning still fit what the team wants to see from Crow-Armstrong. The aggression is still there—he hit a sixth-inning home run on a pitch that was low—but he’s also showing he can dial it back when the moment demands it.
Crow-Armstrong framed it the same way: learning how to pick his spots without losing the edge. “The walks are a fun new thing that I’m kind of learning how to take,” he said. “I’m going to swing and I’ll take the walks whenever they come. Just taking pride on getting on first to hopefully set everybody else up, to drive people in.”.
That matters to a lineup that’s still figuring out how to stay stable on days when certain players are out. The Cubs got one of those stability boosts from catcher Miguel Amaya.
Amaya walked Saturday and has a .358 on-base percentage, which has helped lengthen the Cubs lineup on days Carson Kelly sits. Counsell said he’s glad to see Amaya doing that for the team. and he tied it directly to what was lost in 2025. Amaya’s previous season was marred by oblique and ankle injuries that limited him to 28 games.
“When you’re playing irregularly, that’s a difficult spot to be productive offensively,” Counsell said. “Miguel’s done an excellent job producing offensively for us. The getting-on-base part, he’s been really good at that. It’s probably something that’s taken a step forward.”
On the mound, Colin Rea built a day that looked almost too clean at first. He retired the first 12 batters he faced until Brandon Valenzuela led off the fifth with a single.
Then came a pivotal moment that didn’t fully swing the outcome, but did add friction to an otherwise smooth run. Two batters later, Rea threw over to first and Valenzuela was called safe—though replays showed he was tagged out before getting back to the base.
The Cubs didn’t challenge the call. “I haven’t looked at it,” Counsell said. “I’m not sure [what happened].”
After that, Chicago kept control. Rea produced his first scoreless start of the season and needed only 78 pitches to record 16 outs.
Even with the bullpen ready to be used, Rea didn’t have to carry extra load. The Cubs removed him with one out in the sixth and brought in left-hander Ryan Rolison. The first two Blue Jays had reached, and after George Springer flew out, Nathan Lukes was due up for Toronto.
Rolison entered with a matchup advantage and made it count. Lukes entered hitting .342 against right-handers but .150 against lefties. Rolison got Lukes to hit into a double play on his first pitch, preserving the Cubs’ 3-0 lead.
Rea described the move as a feel-based decision that still mattered in the moment. “He has a feel, and he can kind of feel me out when it’s best to go with someone else,” Rea said. “After that, it didn’t work out [for the bullpen] but in the moment it was huge.”
The day’s story, in the end, wasn’t only about a scoreline. It was about the Cubs getting exactly what they want in multiple places—Crow-Armstrong learning how to take the walk without giving away his swing. Amaya finding a steadier way to reach base. and Rea’s clean start turning into a lead the bullpen could protect.
Cubs Pete Crow-Armstrong Miguel Amaya Colin Rea Craig Counsell Patrick Corbin Blue Jays Ryan Rolison Nathan Lukes George Springer