Crow-Armstrong homers twice, Imanaga shines as Cubs beat Braves 8-4

Pete-Crow Armstrong hit his 43rd and 44th homers and broke the Chicago Cubs' record for left-handers, and Shota Imanaga allowed a run in six innings in an 8-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field.

Armstrong homered to lead off the third, breaking Billy Williams’ franchise record set in 1970. Crow-Armstrong led off the seventh with another shot for his 13th career multi-homer game and seventh of the season.

Alex Bregman went 3 for 4 with a home run, triple, double and four RBIs, and Crow-Armstrong added an RBI triple as the Cubs stayed a half-game ahead of the Phillies for the first NL wild card.

After allowing three hits in the first two innings, Imanaga (11-10) retired 11 straight batters before Ronald Acuna Jr. doubled and later scored in the sixth, striking out eight and walking none.

On a night when the Braves could have clinched a playoff spot with a win and results elsewhere, starter J.R. Ritchie (1-3) allowed six runs on seven hits in 4⅔ innings.

Bregman led off the fourth with his 26th home run, and Crow-Armstrong drove in Carson Kelly with a triple to right in the fifth before Bregman's triple scored a pair of runs.

Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson, who has been out since Aug. 16 with a left oblique strain, took six at-bats in a simulated game Wednesday and is on schedule to be activated Friday, Cubs manager Craig Counsell said.

Up next

Both teams are off Thursday. The Braves travel to Houston for a three-game series starting Friday, while the Cubs travel to Cincinnati.