CHICAGO (AP) — On a milestone afternoon for Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Chicago Cubs earned their second straight trip to the playoffs.
PCA joined the 40-40 club in Thursday’s 2-1 win over the Miami Marlins.
“I’ve seen a lot of winning here,” Cubs outfielder Ian Happ said. “It’s been a rollercoaster but the resilience of this group and our ability to get through it speaks volumes.”
A favorite to win the NL MVP award, Crow-Armstrong swiped his 40th base and became the seventh player with at least 40 homers and 40 steals in a season. He joined a group that includes Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. Jose Canseco was the first with the 1988 Oakland Athletics.
Crow-Armstrong hit his 45th homer during Sunday’s 9-1 win at Cincinnati, extending his career high. The 24-year-old drew a leadoff walk from Tyler Phillips in the first inning and swiped second base on the next pitch to Seiya Suzuki for his 40th steal in 47 attempts. Fans chanted “MVP” as the Wrigley Field videoboard proclaimed the feat.
“That was the most emotion I think I’ve ever experienced on a baseball field,” Crow-Armstrong said. “It wasn’t relief, it wasn’t anxiety. It was a sense of gratitude.”
PCA is hitting .280 with 45 homers, 107 RBIs, 119 runs and 40 steals.
Chicago went 20-3 from April 14 to May 8, but followed with a 2-14 stretch.
“Hasn’t been all smooth,” manager Craig Counsell said, “but you develop some calluses through that and I think it gets you through a lot of stuff.”
Seiya Suzuki homered for the Cubs (88-71), who assured themselves of one of the NL’s three wild card berths.
Chicago also was a wild card last year, when the Cubs beat San Diego in the first round and lost to Milwaukee in a Division Series. The Cubs will be making consecutive postseason appearances for the first time since four straight from 2015-18, which in 2016 included their first championship since 1908.
The Cubs clinched their berth shortly after the White Sox earned their postseason trip with a 9-1 win at Kansas City.
“This city deserves all the great things,” Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson said.
___
