Cubs’ Crow-Armstrong hits two more homers, strengthens MVP bid at Wrigley

Pete Crow-Armstrong hit two more home runs at Wrigley Field on Wednesday night, his seventh multi-home-run game of the season, in an 8-4 Cubs victory over the Atlanta Braves. The performance, which came with the crowd chanting “M-V-P! M-V-P!” between at-bats, pushed his season total to 44 and strengthened his case for the award.

The first homer was his 43rd, breaking Billy Williams’ Cubs record for left-handed hitters. The fans serenaded the Chicago center fielder again after an RBI triple and after his 44th home run. Even when he struck out on five pitches in the eighth, he received a standing ovation on his way back to the dugout at the end of a 3-for-4 night with three RBIs and three runs.

“You’re shaking your head in amazement, sometimes,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “In amazement. You know, you don’t get to see this. That’s what I told Alex (Bregman): ‘We don’t get to see things like this.’ You spend your whole life in baseball, and you just don’t see this happen on a baseball field.”

“You’re grateful to be a part of it,” Counsell said. “You’re grateful to see things like this. And then you’re grateful the fans get to see a season like this. They’re going to talk about it. They’re going to tell their kids about it. They’re going to tell their grandkids about a season like this.”

Crow-Armstrong is one home run behind Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber for the major league lead and is closing in on the first 40-40 season in Cubs history. He is hitting .283 with 105 RBIs, 29 doubles and 37 stolen bases, along with what Counsell described as Gold Glove-caliber defense in center field.

With Shohei Ohtani still on the injured list with right biceps inflammation, Crow-Armstrong keeps hitting. As he has moved from breakthrough player to MVP favorite, his performance has remained steady while the Cubs chase a wild-card spot.

“I keep it pretty simple,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I enjoy just kind of laying low, as I always do and always will. I’ve got a really nice support system.”

Starting pitcher Shota Imanaga, who picked up the win, struggled to find the words through an interpreter.

“We can always say he’s great, or he’s excellent, but really there’s no words to describe him,” Imanaga said. “So I’ll think of a new word in English for that.”