CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs defeated the Cincinnati Reds 17-5 on Saturday. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit three home runs and drove in six runs during the victory at Wrigley Field.

Crow-Armstrong recorded four hits and scored four runs in the game attended by 39,597 fans. The 24-year-old center fielder hit a 435-foot home run to right-center field in the first inning for his eighth career leadoff homer. He followed with a two-run home run off the foul pole in right field in the second inning.

His third home run traveled 444 feet to center field in the seventh inning off pitcher Tony Santillan. This performance marked Crow-Armstrong's first career three-home-run game and his fifth multi-homer game of the season.

Crow-Armstrong's first three hits came against pitcher Andrew Abbott, who allowed seven runs and eight hits in three-plus innings. In the eighth inning, Crow-Armstrong grounded out to second base against Reds catcher Jose Trevino, who pitched and threw a 58.1 mph knuckleball. Alex Bregman, Carson Kelly, and Seiya Suzuki also hit home runs for the Cubs.

Tyrone Taylor, Pedro Ramírez, and Carson Kelly combined for eight hits in 12 at-bats and scored nine runs. For the Reds, Sal Stewart and Eugenio Suárez hit home runs, with Stewart's being his 30th of the year. Kevin Gausman struck out seven in five innings but allowed five runs and six hits.

"Sometimes you feel it in your bones that you got a day like today in you and I did today," Crow-Armstrong said. He credited part of his success to a pregame conversation with Sammy Sosa, who participated in a ceremony celebrating Chicago's 150 years as a National League franchise. Crow-Armstrong spoke with Sosa in the lobby and again in the batting cage before 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." Manager Craig Counsell praised the performance, stating, I think Pete’s having a wonderful season. It’s a lot of fun to watch. We’re lucky to be a part of it. Teammate Alex Bregman said, "I think he can change the game in so many different ways. 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 do on a baseball field."

Crow-Armstrong has 36 home runs, 89 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases this season while batting.282 in 136 games. He entered the day leading baseball with 8.6 wins above replacement per FanGraphs and had 7.9 WAR according to Baseball Reference. His performance moved him from a -390 favorite to a -1100 favorite for NL MVP at FanDuel, while Shohei Ohtani shifted from +300 to +650.

Ohtani won the National League MVP award in each of the previous two years but has not pitched since July 3 due to left knee soreness and a right biceps injury, limiting him to designated hitter duties. The Cubs are now 7.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central standings, with the Philadelphia Phillies 1.5 games behind them in the wild-card standings.

Timeline

In 2025, Pete Crow-Armstrong hit.188 with seven home runs and 27 RBIs against left-handed pitchers. On July 3, 2026, Shohei Ohtani stopped pitching due to left knee soreness and a right biceps injury. On August 27, 2026, Crow-Armstrong expressed frustration after a loss, stating, "If I’m going to sit here and b—h about this stuff, I should have done better today. Shouldn’t have punched out three times, should have had better at-bats all series, I was pretty non-existent so I think you guys saw my frustrations from the last three days kind of come out and I’m going to stick by it and say rightfully so. Also on August 27, 2026, Crow-Armstrong commented on umpiring, saying, I saw four umpires miss a pretty obvious play. They’re out there every day, just like we are. Their one job is to get calls right. And if they get it wrong, they’re supposed to talk about it, figure it out and get it right. And they didn’t. He added regarding pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, That’s not to take away from what Eduardo was doing to us today because he was All-Star Eduardo Rodriguez. He was nails. When a guy is shoving it down your throat — pause — you got to find any way you can to make something happen and that’s exactly what I was trying to do, and I executed. It would have been nice if the umpires did the same. Umpire Alfonso Márquez admitted the missed call on August 27, 2026, saying, We just didn’t see it. After looking at the video, it looked like [Rodriguez] stepped off. Crow-Armstrong further discussed the incident on August 27, 2026, noting, I get it from Alfonso (Marquez)’s point of view at home plate, tough to see with two people standing in front of you and all you’re trying to do is call the right pitch. But I don’t know how you miss somebody starting their motion and then stopping it and stepping off. I just don’t know, so you’ll have to talk to them. He also stated on August 27, 2026, I didn’t appreciate the other umpire coming up to me after (Berry) had calmed the situation down. I think they find new ways to screw something up every day. So, there you go."

What's New

Additional reporting confirms Pete Crow-Armstrong homered three times and drove in six runs on August 29, 2026, in the Chicago Cubs' 17-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Game records show the final score as Chicago Cubs 17, Cincinnati Reds 5, following earlier scheduled and final results in the series. Crow-Armstrong entered the day with 7.9 WAR according to Baseball Reference. Quotes from August 27 include Crow-Armstrong's self-criticism and comments on umpiring accuracy.

How Sources Differ

MLB split statistics report Pete Crow-Armstrong is batting.315 with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs against left-handed pitchers this season, while MLB statistical records state he has 36 home runs this season. Regarding home run leaders, MLB split statistics cite Crow-Armstrong's numbers against lefties, whereas MLB rookie statistics note Sal Stewart leads NL rookies in home runs and RBIs with 104 RBIs. Detail gaps exist between MLB split statistics and other records: Statcast data specifies a 435-foot home run, statistical records list 71 walks and two double plays in 136 games, and box scores confirm three home runs in the game, while split statistics focus on performance against left-handed pitchers.

Why It Matters

Pete Crow-Armstrong is the first Cubs player to record at least four hits, three home runs, and six RBI in a game at Wrigley Field since George Mitterwald in 1974. This historical benchmark reflects the rarity of his offensive output at the team's home stadium. The crowd chanted "M-V-P! M-V-P!" as he rounded the bases after his third home run, reflecting his rising status in award conversations.

The Cubs improved to a 7-2 record against Cincinnati this year. Crow-Armstrong has hit at least 12 homers, 25 RBI, and six steals in the month of August, demonstrating sustained production. His batting average against left-handed pitchers has improved significantly from.188 in 2025 to.315 this season, addressing a previous weakness in his game.