Pete Crow-Armstrong Finally Gets Benched, and the Cubs' Winning Machine Didn't Even Slow Down

After starting all 24 games to open the season, Pete Crow-Armstrong rode the bench Thursday against the Phillies. The Cubs center fielder is hitting just .247 with a .633 OPS and one home run through 93 at-bats, and facing Phillies ace Christopher Sánchez (2025 NL Cy Young runner-up) on a day game after a night game seemed like the perfect time to give him a breather. Sánchez has been absolutely brutal against left-handed hitters this season, holding them to a .167 average and a .385 OPS.

Spoiler alert: the rest day didn't really matter. The Cubs demolished the Phillies 8-7 in 10 innings at Wrigley Field anyway, extending their MLB-best winning streak to nine games while Philadelphia tumbled to its ninth straight loss. Crow-Armstrong did get some action, pinch-hitting in the seventh inning, but struck out twice before Dansby Swanson delivered the walk-off bases-loaded single in the 10th to send 31,057 fans home happy.

Michael Busch Did What Sánchez Couldn't Allow

The Cubs got after Sánchez early and often, collecting 11 hits and five runs through the first four innings. Michael Busch, the lone lefty in the Cubs' lineup, went yard on a 421-foot bomb to straightaway center field in the third inning for a three-run shot. That was the first home run Sánchez has surrendered to a left-handed hitter all season. Busch added another run-driver with a groundout in the sixth and made defensive plays that kept the Phillies off the board, including a diving stop in the fourth and a tricky scoop on a jump-throw in the fifth. Ian Happ chipped in a solo blast to Waveland Ave. in the fourth for insurance.

Phillies Kept Coming Back, But Cubs Had the Last Word

The Phillies mounted a comeback in the seventh when Brandon Marsh homered and an Alex Bregman throwing error led to two unearned runs. They tied it in the eighth on an Edmundo Sosa pinch-hit single. Seiya Suzuki answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth to reclaim the lead, but Adolis García tied it right back up with a solo homer in the ninth. That's when the Cubs' resilience showed up in the 10th, and Swanson delivered the walk-off moment.

Cubs starter Edward Cabrera kept Philadelphia in check through seven innings, allowing three earned runs. Matt Shaw took over in center field for Crow-Armstrong and got his first professional start there, shifting over from right field. It was Shaw's first time in center as a pro since the Cubs drafted him 13th overall in 2021 out of Maryland. After a night game and facing one of the league's best, the Cubs found a way to complete the sweep.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.