Pete Crow-Armstrong pulled off another multi-home run game Sunday, pushing his season tally to a mind-blowing 38 dingers. This guy is on an absolute tear, bolstering his MVP case into what looks like a runaway freight train past Shohei Ohtani in the National League. It was a truly remarkable day at the plate for Crow-Armstrong, even if his Chicago Cubs ultimately dropped the game 7-5 to the Cincinnati Reds, giving Cincinnati the 2-1 series victory.
The Bombs Keep Dropping
Did anyone even blink when Crow-Armstrong led off the bottom of the first inning with a no-doubt home run? Absolutely not. After hitting three homers a day before in a massive 17-5 win, he picked up right where he left off. He absolutely turned on a 99 mph full-count fastball from Chase Burns, sending it deep into the right-field bleachers at Wrigley Field. That blast gave the Cubs an immediate 1-0 lead, marking his fourth home run in a ridiculous span of seven at-bats. This guy has five home runs in two days, folks. Five!
MVP Numbers Are No Joke
Crow-Armstrong’s individual effort is simply insane right now. His 38 homers put him only two behind MLB leader Kyle Schwarber’s 40, and he is a full eight bombs ahead of Ohtani’s 30. Entering Sunday, Crow-Armstrong was already leading the entire NL in WAR, slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases. After Sunday’s performance, he’s slashing a ridiculous .283/.377/.577 with a .954 OPS, 91 RBI, and 32 stolen bases. Seriously, what can’t this dude do? He’s doing all of this for a 77-60 Cubs team that finished Sunday tied with the Phillies for the top wild-card spot in the NL. It’s getting tough to imagine anyone catching him in this MVP race.
A Clutch Shot That Wasn’t Enough
While Crow-Armstrong was doing his thing, the Reds batters definitely woke up and started swinging. They dropped six runs on Cubs starter Shota Imanaga across the fourth and fifth innings, taking a commanding 7-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth. But you know Crow-Armstrong wasn’t going down without a fight. With two outs in the ninth, he stepped up and launched another ball into the right-field bleachers for his second home run of the game. That clutch shot cut Chicago’s deficit to two runs, 7-5. It was a huge moment that tried to spark a comeback, but the Cubs couldn’t score again, sealing the Reds’ 7-5 win and their series victory. The loss stings, no doubt, but it does absolutely nothing to dim Crow-Armstrong’s incredible run for MVP control.
What happens next with the MVP race is the real question everyone in the league is asking. Crow-Armstrong is putting up historic numbers for a team fighting for a wild-card spot, and it’s difficult to fathom him surrendering his lead. Can he maintain this insane pace, secure the most coveted individual award in baseball, and help lead the 77-60 Cubs to that wild-card spot? The next game will be another chance to see this superstar in action.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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