Cubs Star Pete Crow-Armstrong Hits for Cycle in Walk-off Win
For the first time in the MLB this season, someone has hit for the cycle. Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong recorded all four hits in a walk-off win.
For the first time in the MLB this season, someone has hit for the cycle. Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong recorded all four hits in a walk-off win. The Cubs are trying to climb back into the NL Central race, and the walk-off win will help their cause. But it took every bit of offensive magic from PCA and then some.
Pete Crow-Armstrong becomes first MLB cycle in almost a year
Hitting for the cycle isn’t the rarest feat in baseball. Throwing a no-hitter is more uncommon, among other things. But it’s still an incredibly difficult thing to pull off. Recording a home run, single, double, and triple in one game is challenging. Just getting four hits in a game is uncommon, so getting the four possible outcomes is very impressive.
On June 15, Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs became the first to do it in about 11 months. Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton was the last to accomplish this feat. Crow-Armstrong laced a single in his final at-bat to complete the cycle and was promptly picked off of first base, which left him frustrated even in spite of his historic day.
“I did everything I could to help the team, but I also had a real lapse in focus, and that really could have hurt us tonight. I know it’s a rare feat. Hard to answer questions like those when the game just ended, and I’m processing a lot,” he admitted. The Cubs erased a 4-3 deficit in the ninth on a walk-off walk.
PCA also became the fourth to complete the cycle in reverse order (home run, triple, double, and then single) since 1969. Last March, Crow-Armstrong’s teammate, Carson Kelly, hit for the cycle, but PCA is the youngest Cub to accomplish the feat since Randy Hundley in 1966.
Cubs earn crucial walk-off in cycle game
Though Pete Crow-Armstrong wasn’t involved in the walk-off that pushed the Cubs to 38-35, his fingerprints were all over it. Without his historic performance, they wouldn’t have been in the position to win. The Cubs have been weirdly hot and cold this year.
They have two 10-game winning streaks as well as a 10-game losing streak. Only one other MLB team has done that in a full season, and the Cubs aren’t even to the halfway mark. Right now, though, they’re hot. So is Crow-Armstrong. “I’m proud of myself for the work I’ve been doing over the last few weeks, over the course of the year, really,” the outfielder said.
Teammates were in awe, too. “A cycle is pretty up there as far as ceilings go,” Matt Shaw said. “I think he showed everything that he can do, just in one game.” Crow-Armstrong only had four at-bats, and he made the most of them, ending up with two RBI and a run scored.
“It was cool,” he said after getting a standing ovation. “I appreciated the reception from the stadium. I absolutely put up great at-bats tonight … but you saw it tonight. The game is not over until it’s over.” The Cubs now trail the Milwaukee Brewers by seven games.
Zachary Roberts has written in the sports industry for over four years. He's covered the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Hornets, Seattle Seahawks, and wider coverage of the NFL, pro golf, NHL, MLB, and NBA. He has worked with ComicBook, Sportskeeda, The Sporting News, and the On SI Network. In his free time, Zachary loves playing video games, watching movies, or reading books.
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