Chicago Cubs Shine with Crow-Armstrong’s Leadership

As local rock band Hippo Campus concluded their performance of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field, the ambiance shifted. The speakers began playing the classic sports anthem “Bear Down, Chicago Bears.” The video board displayed images of Chicago’s prominent athletes: Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, Bulls forwards Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis, alongside Cole Bennett, founder of Lyrical Lemonade. Seated in the front row near the home dugout, they all sported Cubs jerseys. Williams donned a Pete Crow-Armstrong jersey, inciting the crowd of 39,018 to chant “PCA, PCA” in support of the Cubs center fielder.

Awesome having them here, said Crow-Armstrong, who earned recognition as the NL Player of the Month. I felt the energy from the crowd when they got put on the board. Chicago’s got a lot to look forward to with those three.

Crow-Armstrong also delivered a performance to cheer about. The 24-year-old solidified his NL Most Valuable Player candidacy with a crucial two-run home run — his 39th of the season — during the third inning, aiding the Cubs in their 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. The win allowed the Cubs, now at a 79-62 record, to split the series.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell acknowledged the moment’s significance. That was cool that they were down there, he said. I know Pete’s got a relationship with some of those guys, so that was very cool. The Cubs are set to play against the Marlins in Miami over the weekend, followed by another match-up with the Brewers in Milwaukee. They trail the Brewers by eight games, with 21 left to play, but are within a half-game of the idle Philadelphia Phillies for the top National League wild-card spot.

Crow-Armstrong’s home run, combined with the energetic support from his famous fans, provided a highlight. Nonetheless, the dominant pitching of Kevin Gausman also played a key role. Gausman pitched seven innings, allowing only one run while striking out nine.

That’s kind of all you want from someone we pick up at the deadline, Crow-Armstrong noted. Smart guy, and it clearly looked like him and (catcher Carson Kelly) were working well together tonight. But Gaus was absolutely dominant.

Gausman relied heavily on his fastball-splitter combination. Out of his 103 pitches, 98 were either fastballs or splitters. The splitter was instrumental in keeping the Brewers off-balance, generating 12 swings and misses. His fastball prevented the Brewers from anticipating his splitter.

When I can do that and throw strikes consistently, and the split is carrying the zone, I’m pretty hard to beat, said Gausman. Add that with Carson calling a great game and the defense behind me, and just a good night of just making pitches when I had to. This outing was crucial for the Cubs, considering the recent pitching challenges faced earlier in the week. On Tuesday, Matthew Boyd left with a lead in the sixth inning, only to have the bullpen relinquish it, resulting in a 9-4 loss. David Peterson also struggled on Wednesday, yielding six runs in a 9-5 defeat.

With Gausman’s strong performance, Counsell wasn’t forced to rely on the relief squad early on. When the bullpen was needed, Ryan Zeferjahn and Ryan Rolison delivered two perfect innings.

We need some good outings from our bullpen, and those guys need good outings to feel good about how they’re throwing. That’s life, right? said Counsell. You need some good things to happen to you to feel good about the next time you do it, and they were both excellent today.

Unfortunately, the team confirmed that right-hander Ben Brown will miss the rest of the season due to a stress reaction in his neck. This injury has plagued him since late June. After a bridge game in Arizona, symptoms reappeared, revealing ongoing injury signs. Brown will rest before preparing for 2027. In the past, a similar injury sidelined him for the entire 2024 season.

Despite pitching challenges, Crow-Armstrong continues to capture the attention and support of the sports community. His connections within Chicago sports also play a role in showcasing unity among local athletes.

I think just that in itself, just the friendship alone is great, and I’m lucky to have that, Crow-Armstrong said. But to be able to show the city that we’re all pulling for each other and we all believe in each other is huge.

Andy Martinez contributed to this report for the Chicago Tribune.