Two more homers in Cubs' 3-2 win over Giants, another twist in Pete Crow-Armstrong’s wild season
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The https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs" >Cubs and https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/06/04/cubs-walk-off-win-pete-crow-armstrong-dansby-swanson-dropped-fly-ball-slump-nl-central-standings" >Pete Crow-Armstrong have played 65 games this season.
It’s not even the middle of June, and the Cubs have had multiple 10-game winning streaks, a 10-game skid and have gone from a legitimate World Series contender to a team trying to stay in the National League playoff race.
Crow-Armstrong’s season hasn’t been any calmer, and it took another turn in the Cubs’ 3-2, 10-inning win Saturday over the Giants.
Once again leading off, Crow-Armstrong hit two home runs.
They were both game-tying homers, the second coming with two outs in the bottom of the ninth in front of a previously restless crowd of 39,248.
Crow-Armstrong had four hits for the second time this year and has hit home runs in three of his last four games.
“It’s like, don’t miss a pitch [when Crow-Armstrong is hitting],” manager Craig Counsell said. “It’s incredible, really.”
That could also describe the highs and lows for Crow-Armstrong.
In late March, Crow-Armstrong agreed to a six-year, $115 million extension, locking him up through the 2032 season.
Already a fan-favorite because of his daring style and personality, the deal solidified his place in the Cubs’ long-term plans.
That same verve hasn’t necessarily endeared him to everybody.
The best example is what happened in May at Rate Field, when a White Sox fan planned her engagement party around the opportunity to heckle Crow-Armstrong in center field.
After missing a chance for a leaping play against the wall, Crow-Armstrong was taunted by the fan, and the Cubs outfielder responded profanely in a moment that quickly went viral.
Crow-Armstrong has also been on the wrong end of other highlight-reel moments.
The latest was Thursday when he lost a Shea Langeliers fly ball in the lights, leading to an inside-the-park home run.
Yet through all of that, Crow-Armstrong is still the Cubs’ player with the highest ceiling.
He recovered from Thursday’s miscue with a home run and the game-winning hit to beat the Athletics, and came into Saturday with 3.0 wins above replacement (per Baseball Reference) and left with a .343 on-base percentage.
“I’m growing up in the middle of all of it,” Crow-Armstrong said. “Contrary to what a lot of people probably believe, I am getting better for all the downs and the ups as well.
I feel like I have 100 more games left and I’m really excited for it.”
First baseman Michael Busch, whose Wrigley Field locker is next to Crow-Armstrong in the Cubs’ clubhouse, said the outfielder is handling his topsy-turvy season “as well as you can.”
“Pete, along with everybody in this room, the ability to handle some of that stuff is one of my favorite parts about this group,” said Busch, whose 10th-inning single led to Dansby Swanson scoring the winning run after Giants right fielder Victor Bericoto overran the ball. “Just the ability to know himself and rely on some of his past experiences – last year he kind of went through ups and downs – and kind of worked through some of those things this year is a solid reason as to why he’s doing the things that he’s doing right now.”
What Crow-Armstrong is doing is giving a sputtering team a chance.
The Cubs missed opportunities before Crow-Armstrong’s second home run, and were an out away from falling to one game above .500 and losing two straight to a bad Giants team.
But Crow-Armstrong turned on the first pitch he saw from Keaton Winn, hitting it 403 feet and adding another wrinkle to a 65-game season that’s felt like much more.
“Pete’s improving,” Counsell said. “That’s all I want.
That’s all I’m after.
That’s going to stay like that.
Keep getting better.”