Vision quest: PCA hits 20-20, but Cubs’ comeback fall short against Brewers
Another day, another milestone for Pete Crow-Armstrong.
He became the fastest player in Cubs history to reach 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases with a first-inning 2-run homer to the right-field bleachers.
Unfortunately, when his team needed him most, PCA was stranded in the on-deck circle. The game ended when Seiya Suzuki grounded into a double play and the Cubs’ comeback fell short against Milwaukee 8-7 at Wrigley Field.
PCA actually shattered the franchise record. He reached 20-20 in the Cubs' 74th game of the season and his 73rd game played. Sammy Sosa took 100 games to get there in 1995.
According to MLB, Crow-Armstrong made the fourth-fastest trip to 20-20 in history, following Eric Davis, who did it in 46 games in 1987; Jose Canseco, 68 games in '88; and Fernando Tatis Jr., 71 games in '21.
“Yeah, it's an honor,” Crow-Armstrong said. “Those names that were listed, those are all names I've enjoyed watching at some point or another in my life. It's just an honor to be able to do that.”
Teammates have been asked several times this week to describe what PCA is doing, but they've yet to run out of words.
“I think that's been such a really cool thing to be able to play with a guy that's electric in every way, shape or form,” Dansby Swanson said. “The consistency he's been doing it with is just as impressive.”
Crow-Armstrong raved about the endless positive reception he gets at Wrigley Field. As he walks out to center field to start the game, he acknowledges fans in the bleachers to the left-field side of the hitting backdrop, then those on the right-field side. The cheers were even louder as he returned to the outfield after the first-inning home run.
“Those are the coolest moments, I guess,” he said. “There's not many places that give you an ovation during the game when you're walking out on defense. So that always feels very, very special. Those are my people out there (in the bleachers), so I love the interactions we have on a daily basis.”
The Cubs fell behind in this one 8-3, then scored twice in both the seventh and eighth innings. Ian Happ led off the ninth inning with a walk, but Kyle Tucker struck out and Suzuki's double play on a 3-2 pitch ended it. Manager Craig Counsell talked about the dilemma of whether to have Happ run on 3-2, which in hindsight would have been a good move.
“If he hits a groundball, you wish you would have went,” Counsell said. “If he strikes out and they throw us out, then Pete's not hitting. It was a close one. We debated it in the dugout for sure. Trevor Megill's definitely a strikeout pitcher. He's not really a groundball pitcher and Seiya, unfortunately, hit a hard groundball.”
Another move backfired on the pitching mound. Cubs starter Jameson Taillon didn't have it Thursday, giving up 8 hits, 5 runs and 2 homers in the first three innings. Taillon did pitch a scoreless fourth and Counsell decided to pull the plug at 68 pitches, sending in lefty Genesis Cabrera for the fifth. Cabrera gave up a walk, double and 3-run homer to Isaac Collins to make it 8-3.
“At that point it was 5-3 and (Christian) Yelich was leading off the inning,” Counsell said. “They had lefty, righty, lefty, so we went to a left-hander there, try to keep it close and they put together another good inning.”
Taillon (7-4) can toss some duds, but he was on a streak of six straight quality starts. He's among the MLB leaders in home runs allowed but had gone two straight games without anyone going deep.
“There are some things I know I need to be better at,” Taillon said. “Again, my slider being one of them, just have to figure out that pitch. That was a pitch I could throw in any count last year. This year, it's just kind of been elusive. We're working on it, but it just needs to be better.”
Chris Flexen gave the Cubs a chance by keeping the Brewers off the scoreboard for 3 innings, then Drew Pomeranz pitched the ninth. Those two have thrown a combined 40 innings this season without allowing an earned run.
Swanson hit his 14th homer in the fourth inning, then Happ's 2-run blast to center brought the Cubs within 8-5 in the seventh. Just before Happ's homer, Matt Shaw thought he had a walk but was called for not checking his swing in time on appeal and whiffed on the next pitch.