Cubs Triumph with Crow-Armstrong’s Stellar Performance

During the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field on Thursday, the local band Hippo Campus finished playing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” and “Bear Down, Chicago Bears” resonated through the stadium speakers. Shortly thereafter, the video board featured a trio of prominent Chicago athletes: Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Bulls forwards Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis. Accompanying them was Cole Bennett, founder of Lyrical Lemonade. All were seated prominently in the first row sporting Cubs jerseys. Williams donned a Pete Crow-Armstrong jersey and initiated a “PCA, PCA” chant with the 39,018-strong crowd in honor of the Cubs center fielder.

Pete Crow-Armstrong was celebrated for more than his celebrity supporters. He played a key role in the Cubs’ 2-1 triumph over the Milwaukee Brewers with a crucial two-run homer in the third inning, his 39th of the season. The victory was a much-needed lift for the Cubs, maintaining their standing in the battle for the National League wild-card spot. “Having them here was awesome,” Crow-Armstrong said, noting the energy shift when the athletes were shown on the board.

The performance helped counterbalance Kevin Gausman’s standout pitching. Gausman pitched seven innings, giving up just one run and striking out nine. His fastball-splitter combination befuddled Milwaukee hitters, comprising 98 of his 103 pitches. “I’m hard to beat when I can do that and throw strikes consistently,” Gausman noted.

This performance was a relief following a challenging week, with previous losses to the Brewers highlighting bullpen weaknesses. On Tuesday, Matthew Boyd left with a lead, but the bullpen allowed eight runs, resulting in a loss. Wednesday saw a similar scenario with David Peterson. Gausman’s efforts reduced Manager Craig Counsell’s reliance on relief pitching early on. Ryan Zeferjahn and Ryan Rolison delivered perfect innings to close out the win.

Adding to the Cubs’ challenges, Counsell announced right-hander Ben Brown would miss the rest of the season due to a neck issue. Brown’s ongoing injury troubles sparked concern as it was the second instance of the condition. “It’s a concern when it happens multiple times,” Counsell said, emphasizing the hope for a healthy return next season.

Meanwhile, Edward Cabrera and Shelby Miller are preparing to pitch with Triple-A Iowa, helping to bolster the bullpen. Despite these hurdles, Crow-Armstrong has maintained outstanding form, earning praise across Chicago’s sports circles. “Friendship among the city’s athletes is invaluable,” Crow-Armstrong commented. The shared support illustrates unity and belief in each other’s abilities across teams.

Andy Martinez contributes this report from the Chicago Tribune.