Crow-Armstrong Powers Cubs Past Orioles 9-7

Pete Crow-Armstrong delivered two home runs as the Chicago Cubs defeated the Baltimore Orioles 9-7 Wednesday night at Camden Yards, continuing Chicago’s strong stretch before the All-Star break.

The 23-year-old center fielder hit his 20th and 21st home runs of the season, helping the Cubs collect five homers in the game. Chicago improved to 52-40 and recorded its 18th victory in 24 games.

Crow-Armstrong also reached another franchise milestone. With 20 home runs and 23 stolen bases through 92 games, he joined Sammy Sosa and Ryne Sandberg as the only Cubs players to record multiple seasons with at least 20 homers and 20 steals.

His first home run came in the third inning against Baltimore starter Dean Kremer. Facing an 0-2 count, Crow-Armstrong connected with a splitter below the strike zone and sent it over the right-field wall to give Chicago a 1-0 lead.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said the swing left people in the dugout “shaking their heads in amazement at how he’s able to get to that pitch.”

Baltimore responded in the fourth inning when Pete Alonso hit a two-run homer, helping the Orioles take a 3-1 advantage.

Chicago quickly erased the deficit in the fifth.

Michael Conforto opened the inning with a solo home run, and Carson Kelly followed with another homer on the next pitch. Two batters later, Crow-Armstrong struck again, sending another Kremer splitter out of the park to put the Cubs ahead 4-3.

The Cubs widened the gap in the seventh inning.

Baltimore reliever Grant Wolfram entered with two runners aboard and one out. Chicago added runs through a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch before Seiya Suzuki delivered a three-run home run, his 14th of the season, to give the Cubs a 9-3 lead.

The Orioles mounted a late comeback.

Tyler O’Neill hit a pinch-hit solo homer in the seventh, while Taylor Ward added an RBI single. Baltimore continued its push in the eighth when Coby Mayo hit a 420-foot home run, and O’Neill followed with his second homer of the night, cutting Chicago’s lead to 9-7.

The Cubs prevented Baltimore from getting any closer.

Dansby Swanson made a key defensive play in the eighth inning, diving to catch a hard line drive from Gunnar Henderson with a runner on second base and ending the threat.

Colin Rea earned the victory for Chicago after allowing three runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He improved to 7-5. Kremer took the loss and fell to 1-2.

Baltimore’s Jackson Holliday collected four hits, while Henderson went 0-for-5.

Crow-Armstrong’s latest performance also placed him among a select group in Major League Baseball history. He became the first player since Alfonso Soriano in 2002 and 2003 to reach 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases before the All-Star break in consecutive seasons.

The victory gave Chicago its fourth consecutive road series win and strengthened its position in the National League playoff race.

The Cubs stood second in the NL Central behind the Milwaukee Brewers and held the No. 2 NL Wild Card position following the victory.