NewzCHICAGO (AP) — Pete Crow-Armstrong turned two pregame conversations with Sammy Sosa into one of the best days of his career.Crow-Armstrong homered three times and drove in six runs on Saturday, adding to his case for NL MVP and powering the Chicago Cubs to a runaway 17-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. The All-Star center fielder had four hits and scored four times, delighting the crowd of 39,597 at Wrigley Field.“I think Pete’s having a wonderful season,” manager Craig Counsell said. We’re lucky to be a part of it.”Crow-Armstrong, 24, saw Sosa in the lobby as he made his way into the ballpark, and the two talked again in the batting cage.
Sosa, 57, was part of a pregame ceremony celebrating Chicago's 150 years as a National League franchise.Crow-Armstrong said Sosa told him he wanted to see even more out of him, and then told him he wanted him to hit three homers during the game.“He was like, ‘I want three out of you today. I need three,’” Crow-Armstrong said. “And sure enough, I don’t know what he passed down to me there.”Crow-Armstrong continued his bid to unseat Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani as NL MVP after the Japanese slugger took home the honor each of the previous two years.
Ohtani hasn’t been able to pitch since July 3 because of left knee soreness and a right biceps injury.While Ohtani has been limited to designated hitter with Los Angeles, Crow-Armstrong is one of baseball's top defensive players. And he has turned into a consistent threat at the plate as well, batting .282 with 36 homers, 89 RBIs and 32 steals in 136 games.“Sometimes you feel it in your bones that you got a day like today in you and I did today,” Crow-Armstrong said.Crow-Armstrong hit a 435-foot drive to right-center in the first for his eighth career leadoff homer — all this season. He went deep again in the second, sending a two-run shot off the foul pole in right.It was Crow-Armstrong's fifth multihomer game this season and No.
11 for his career.“I think he can change the game in so many different ways,” teammate Alex Bregman said. “I think that one day it’s hitting three homers, the next day it's making three diving plays or just running down balls that nobody else can go catch out there in center field. Next day, it’s stealing third and the ball going in the left field and him scoring.
It’s just so many different things he can… CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong is adding to his case for the NL MVP award.Crow-Armstrong homered three times on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds. The All-Star center fielder also singled and scored in the fourth.Crow-Armstrong is making a bid to unseat Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani as NL MVP after the Japanese slugger took home the honor each of the previous two years.
And he has turned into a consistent threat at the plate as well.The 24-year-old Crow-Armstrong hit a 435-foot drive to right-center in the first for his eighth career leadoff homer — all this season. 11 for his career.Crow-Armstrong got each of his first three hits off left-hander Andrew Abbott. He was batting .303 with nine homers and 31 RBIs this season against lefties coming into the day.
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