Crow-Armstrong's Historic Night
Pete Crow-Armstrong Makes History with Leadoff and Walk-Off Homers in Cubs' Dramatic Victory
Key Points
Pete Crow-Armstrong became the 7th MLB player in history to start a game with a leadoff home run and finish it with a walk-off homer.
In the 10th inning, Crow-Armstrong's two-run homer came on a 2-1 slider from Hagen Smith, with the automatic runner Carson Kelly scoring on the play.
Crow-Armstrong finished 4-for-5 with a walk, adding four hits in the game.
White Sox offense included Randal Grichuk's three-run homer in the 4th (his 10th) and Andrew Benintendi's two-run homer in the 8th to briefly surge in front.
Cubs starter Shota Imanaga worked six innings, allowing three runs on two hits while striking out 10 (one off his season high).
Pete Crow-Armstrong had one of the most complete games in recent Cubs history on Saturday night. He opened with a leadoff home run, then ended a 7-5 win over the White Sox with a walk-off two-run homer in the 10th inning at Wrigley Field. According to iHeart, it made him the first Cubs player ever to hit both a leadoff and a walk-off homer in the same game.
The performance also pushed Crow-Armstrong into the 30-30 club — at least 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in one season. He finished the night with 30 homers and 31 stolen bases. UPI reported he became the first MLB player since 2010 to hit both a leadoff and walk-off homer in a single game, only the 7th to ever do it.
From First Pitch to Final Out: The Historic Sequence
Crow-Armstrong wasted no time. He hit the game's very first pitch for a solo homer, his fifth leadoff home run of the season. The Cubs trailed and rallied multiple times before the game went to extras. In the 10th inning, with automatic runner Carson Kelly on second, Crow-Armstrong launched a two-run homer off a 2-1 slider from Hagen Smith. The Cubs won 7-5.
He finished 4-for-5 with a walk — a dominant individual performance. Only six other MLB players in history had ever started a game with a leadoff homer and ended it with a walk-off shot, UPI reported. No Cubs player had ever done it before Saturday.
White Sox Punched Back Twice Before Falling Short
The White Sox did not go quietly. Randal Grichuk hit a three-run homer in the 4th inning — his 10th of the year — to give Chicago's South Siders the lead. Then Andrew Benintendi added a two-run shot in the 8th to briefly put the White Sox back in front, 5-4.
The Cubs answered in the 9th. Nico Hoerner's RBI tied the game at 5-5 and forced extra innings. Jacob Webb then stranded the bases loaded in the 10th before Crow-Armstrong came up and ended it. The win snapped a two-game Cubs losing streak and ended the White Sox's three-game winning run.
Imanaga Strikes Out 10 in a Sharp Outing
Cubs starter Shota Imanaga gave his team a strong foundation. He worked six full innings, allowing just three runs on two hits. He struck out 10 batters — one short of his season high. His outing kept the Cubs close enough to rally and eventually win.
Seiya Suzuki also homered for the Cubs during the comeback. The win pushed Chicago's record to 73-53, keeping them in strong shape in the NL standings. The crosstown rivalry matchup at Wrigley gave the win extra meaning on an already historic night.
Crow-Armstrong Cements His Place Among Cubs' Best
A 30-30 season means a player hits 30 or more home runs and steals 30 or more bases in the same year. It is one of baseball's hardest feats to pull off. Crow-Armstrong now has back-to-back 30-30 seasons, a mark of elite all-around play.
He is now firmly one of the most dangerous players in the Cubs lineup. Saturday's game — leadoff homer to walk-off homer — was not just a personal milestone. It was the kind of night that defines a player's career and gives a fan base a story to tell for decades, iHeart noted.
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