Pete Crow-Armstrong launches savage extra-inning home run before Cardinals get the last laugh

PCA's Extra-Inning Heroics Erased as Cardinals Steal Win in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS — Pete Crow-Armstrong appeared to deliver the moment that would define another strong outing for the Chicago Cubs. Instead, Wednesday night at Busch Stadium became a reminder that no lead is safe until the final out is recorded.

With the game scoreless through nine innings, the All-Star center fielder stepped to the plate in the top of the 10th and launched a two-run home run into the stands, giving Chicago a sudden 2-0 advantage. The blast came on a pitch just below the strike zone after he took a first-pitch strike, and Crow-Armstrong knew immediately the ball was carrying. He dropped his bat, turned, and stared into the Chicago dugout before beginning his trip around the bases.

His trot, which lasted 28 seconds, included a now-familiar flourish as he rounded third — flexing toward his teammates with both hands clasped behind his neck. It was a signature celebration, and for a brief moment it looked like the signature moment of the night.

Before that at-bat, Crow-Armstrong had been held hitless in four trips to the plate, and the Cubs as a team had managed only two hits through nine innings. The home run seemed to jolt an otherwise quiet offensive performance to life.

It did not last.

Chicago turned to reliever Trent Thornton to protect the lead in the bottom of the 10th, and the inning unraveled almost immediately. Lars Nootbaar opened the frame with a single, and Thornton followed by walking the next batter to put runners on first and second with no one out. Jordan Walker then grounded into a fielder's choice, recording one out but allowing Nootbaar to reach third and load the bases with Walker at first.

With momentum clearly shifting toward the dugout wearing red, Ivan Herrera delivered the decisive blow, lacing a double to left field that cleared the bases and sent the home crowd into a frenzy. The walk-off hit gave St. Louis a 3-2 victory and snapped a three-game losing streak.

The loss overshadowed what had been a promising development for Chicago. Crow-Armstrong, in just his second full major league season, continues to build a case as a legitimate National League Most Valuable Player candidate. He entered Wednesday hitting .270 with 24 home runs, 63 runs batted in, and an .920 on-base plus slugging percentage — a mark that ranks among the top 25 in baseball.

The conversation around the NL MVP award has, to this point, been dominated by Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who remains the clear front-runner. But Crow-Armstrong's continued production into August has begun to turn a longshot conversation into something more interesting.

For one October-influencing night in St. Louis, however, the numbers and the narrative mattered less than the result. The Cubs left the ballpark with a loss, and the Cardinals, after days of searching for a win, finally found one in the most dramatic fashion available.

Game data and statistics current through Wednesday's contest.