Crow-Armstrong’s two homers lift Cubs past Giants, 3-2

In a wild season that has swung between 10-game winning streaks and 10-game skids, Pete Crow-Armstrong hit two home runs—both tying the game—and the Cubs beat the Giants 3-2 in 10 innings Saturday. His second homer came with two outs in the ninth before an ene

Saturday night at Wrigley Field didn’t feel like a calm baseball game so much as another quick turn in a season that refuses to sit still.

The Cubs were trying to steady themselves in the National League playoff race after months of whiplash—two separate 10-game winning streaks, a 10-game skid, and a rapid swing from looking like a World Series contender to searching for consistency by mid-June.

Against the Giants, the plot arrived again through Pete Crow-Armstrong. He led off once more and hit two home runs in the Cubs’ 3-2, 10-inning victory. Both blasts tied the score, and the second came with two outs in the ninth inning in front of a crowd of 39,248 that had already seemed restless.

Crow-Armstrong finished with four hits for the second time this season. He has now homered in three of his last four games.

Manager Craig Counsell summed up what it can look like when Crow-Armstrong is locked in. “It’s, like, don’t miss a pitch [when Crow-Armstrong is hitting],” Counsell said. “It’s incredible, really.”

But this has also been the part of Crow-Armstrong’s year that doesn’t always match the highlights. The same daring, high-energy style that makes him a fan favorite can land him in moments that quickly go viral—and sometimes leave him fighting for his footing right after.

In late March, he agreed to a six-year, $115 million extension, keeping him with the Cubs through the 2032 season. The contract helped cement his long-term role. Yet his season has carried its own sharp edges.

In May at Rate Field, a White Sox fan reportedly planned an engagement party specifically around the chance to heckle Crow-Armstrong in center field. After he missed a chance on a leaping play against the wall, the fan taunted him, and he responded profanely. That moment quickly went viral.

Then Thursday came with another kind of swing. Crow-Armstrong lost a fly ball by the Athletics’ Shea Langeliers in the lights, and it resulted in an inside-the-park homer. By the next day, though, he answered with a homer and then pushed the Cubs to the finish line.

Entering Saturday’s game, Crow-ArmArmstrong carried a mark of 3.0 wins above replacement (by Baseball Reference) and left the field with a .343 on-base percentage.

When asked about the roller coaster, Crow-Armstrong didn’t talk like he was trying to escape it. “I’m growing up in the middle of all of it,” he said. “Contrary to what a lot of people probably believe. I am getting better for all the downs and the ups. as well. I feel like I have 100 more games left, and I’m really excited for it.”.

First baseman Michael Busch—whose locker is next to Crow-Armstrong’s in the Cubs’ clubhouse—offered a view from close range. He said the outfielder is handling the inconsistency “as well as you can.”

Busch pointed to the way Crow-Armstrong appears to adjust. “Pete. along with everybody in this room — the ability to handle some of that stuff is one of my favorite parts about this group. ” Busch said. “Just the ability to know himself and rely on some of his past experiences — last year. he kind of went through ups and downs — and kind of work through some of those things this year is a solid reason as to why he’s doing the things that he’s doing right now.”.

For the Cubs, Crow-Armstrong’s ability to flip games has mattered because the margins have been tight. Before his second homer. the Cubs missed opportunities and were an out away from falling to one game above .500—after they’d already been set up to lose back-to-back games to a Giants team described in the game recap as “bad.”.

Saturday’s comeback turned on a sequence that felt like a reminder of his ceiling. After the Giants found a way to keep things close, Crow-Armstrong turned on the first pitch he saw from Keaton Winn. He hit it 403 feet, adding another twist to a 65-game season that has felt like more.

In the end, it wasn’t just the ninth inning. The Cubs pushed again in the 10th. Busch’s 10th-inning single set up pinch runner Dansby Swanson scoring the winning run after Giants right fielder Victor Bericoto overran the ball.

Counsell, watching it all unfold, kept the message simple. “Pete’s improving,” Counsell said. “That’s all I want. That’s all I’m after. That’s going to stay like that. Keep getting better.”

Cubs Giants Pete Crow-Armstrong Craig Counsell Michael Busch Dansby Swanson Keaton Winn Victor Bericoto MLB