The Atlanta Braves couldn’t complete a series win Wednesday night at Wrigley Field, falling to the Chicago Cubs 8-4 as Pete Crow-Armstrong powered the Cubs with a two-home-run performance.
Chicago grabbed the lead in the first inning when Alex Bregman doubled home Michael Busch. Crow-Armstrong made it 2-0 with a solo home run in the third, his 43rd of the season, before Bregman added a solo shot in the fourth.
The Cubs broke the game open with three runs in the fifth. Crow-Armstrong tripled home Carson Kelly before Bregman followed with a two-run triple, extending Chicago’s advantage to 6-0. Braves starter J.R. Ritchie took the loss after allowing six runs on seven hits over four and two-thirds innings.
Atlanta finally got on the scoreboard in the sixth and added another run in the seventh, but Crow-Armstrong answered with his second home run of the night and 44th of the season. The homer also gave him the Cubs’ single-season record for home runs by a left-handed hitter, surpassing Billy Williams’ mark from 1970. Crow-Armstrong finished the night with three hits, two homers and three RBIs.
Cubs starter Shota Imanaga kept Atlanta’s offense in check, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out eight over six innings. The Braves scored twice in the ninth, but the late rally wasn’t enough.
The loss drops Atlanta to 89-64 on the season. After an off day Thursday, the Braves head to Houston to open a three-game weekend series against the Astros on Friday.
