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Following a two-game series sweep of the Dodgers on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs look like one of the best teams in all of baseball. The offense has been scoring at a historically high rate and they have had to do so based on the incredibly tough schedule they were given to begin the campaign.
Through 26 games this year, the Cubs have already finished their regular season schedule against the Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Padres before they squared off with a divisional foe. Their first NL Central tilt of the season will be next Tuesday, April 29 on the road at PNC Park against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The homestand continues on Friday with a three-game series against the Phillies before the team hits the road next week. It’s been Chicago’s offense that has propelled them to a few huge victories early on this year, and one of their young players could be turning into a start before our eyes.
Pete Crow-Armstrong remains on a tear for the Chicago Cubs
Pete Crow-Armstrong collected another multi-hit game in Chicago’s 7-6 win over the Dodgers on Wednesday. The 23-year-old had three hits in each contest of the set and finished the series 6-9 with four runs driven in against the Los Angeles pitching staff.
The former first-round pick hasn’t just seen Dodger pitching well in the shortened series at Wrigley Field. In his last four games against Los Angeles, Crow-Armstrong has a .526 batting average with four home runs, nine runs driven in and an eye-popping 1.895 OPS. Chicago’s centerfield certainly loves hitting against his hometown team and has suddenly put himself into a conversation where the deal worth $75 million in total that he was offered from the Cubs’ front office might not have been enough.
Along with these fantastic numbers when taking on the Dodgers, Crow-Armstrong is 17-36 at the dish in his last nine games, which is good for a .472 batting average. In that same stretch, he has five home runs, 11 runs driven in and a 1.570 OPS. With his second straight game collecting a long ball on Wednesday, Crow-Armstrong tied Corey Patterson in 2003 for second among most home runs hit in March/April by a Cubs player in their age 23 or younger season since 1906 with five home runs.
The Chicago Cubs are hoping more young success is on the way
Crow-Armstrong should give hope to fans when it comes to look at other young faces in the organization. The speedster had a slow start to his big league career and even began the 2024 campaign in Triple-A. If he can have his bat figured out from a consistency standpoint, Chicago could have their answer in centerfield for a long time.
Matt Shaw had a rough go at it when beginning his big league career at the Cubs’ third baseman this year. The organization’s first-round draft choice in 2023 couldn’t get things going at the plate and was sent down to Iowa after 18 games. While this certainly was not ideal, fans should not worry too much yet about his future. If anything, Crow-Armstrong is a prime example of good things needing to take time in order for consistent success in the big leagues.
More must-reads:
- Yankees' unlikely answer emerges from depth chart to save season — for now
- Padres already demoting one of their trade-deadline acquisitions
- The 'MLB playoff home run leaders' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani reaches yet another incredible milestone
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani entered Wednesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals on the precipice of another milestone. Ohtani had recorded 999 hits in his career, an impressive number considering he continued to hit while rehabbing after a pair of elbow surgeries and the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He notched his 1,000th career hit in the third inning, belting a two-run homer off Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore. While that home run temporarily gave his team a 2-1 lead, the Dodgers' bullpen failed to hold on in the 5-3 loss. Ohtani has put together an impressive season as he slowly works himself back as a starting pitcher. He has posted a .276/.381/.606 batting line in 521 plate appearances, hitting 39 homers and 15 doubles while stealing 16 bases. Ohtani also has a 2.37 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP over 19 innings, striking out 25 batters with just five walks. His 1,000th hit is another milestone in a career that is on track to end in Cooperstown. The 2018 American League Rookie of the Year, Ohtani is a five-time All-Star and three-time MVP, joining Hall of Fame outfielder Frank Robinson as the only players to win the MVP award in both leagues. He is one home run shy of his fourth season with 40 or more homers and is the only player in major league history to hit 50+ homers and steal 50+ bases in the same season. Ohtani's exploits on the mound have been equally impressive. He has reached the double-digit mark in wins twice and has struck out more than 150 batters in a season three times. Ohtani finished fourth in the 2022 AL Cy Young race after posting a 15-9 record with a 2.33 ERA and a 1.012 WHIP over 166 innings, striking out 219 batters with 44 walks. It is sure to be one of the many milestones Ohtani reaches as his career continues.
Dream Dealt Unfortunate News on Brittney Griner on Thursday
Neck pain isn’t usually headline news, unless it belongs to Brittney Griner. Atlanta Dream fans hoping for another dominant night on Thursday just had their mood checked. Griner is officially out again, and suddenly that winning streak feels a little more fragile. The Dream hit the road to face the struggling Chicago Sky, a team sitting at 8-21 and already missing rookie standout Angel Reese. But while the Sky limp into Wintrust Arena, the Dream aren’t walking in at full strength either. On Wednesday, the team ruled out Griner for a third straight game due to her lingering neck injury. According to the WNBA’s official injury report, she’s still not ready for game action. Griner’s absence is a blow. The nine-time All-Star has been averaging 10.6 points and 5.6 boards while shooting over 51 percent from the field this season. She signed with Atlanta as a free agent this offseason, helping turn the Dream into a serious contender after last year’s playoff sneak-in. But with their star center on the bench again, the Dream will have to get creative, and gritty. Brionna Jones, Naz Hillmon Set to Step Up With Griner out, Atlanta is expected to lean on Brionna Jones and Naz Hillmon to carry the frontcourt load. Jones, another offseason addition, has already started taking on a bigger role. The team will need her presence inside to stretch the Sky’s defense and crash the boards. It’s not all gloom, though. Griner’s "doubtful" tag before last week’s Mercury game was the same story, and she’s reportedly getting closer to a return. But Atlanta’s not taking risks with their veteran star, and they shouldn't. Still, with Rhyne Howard also sidelined due to a knee issue, the Dream are down two primary weapons. That makes Thursday’s game less about comfort and more about character.
'Clearly separated himself': Why one QB is winning Browns' competition
Recent reports have indicated that veteran Joe Flacco holds a significant lead in the Cleveland Browns' quarterback competition over Kenny Pickett, 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel and 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders. For an article published on Wednesday, Lance Reisland of the Cleveland Plain Dealer explained why Flacco "has clearly separated himself from the quarterback competition" heading into the Browns' preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers on Friday. "His performance is rooted in elite mechanical consistency in his footwork, balance and ability to transfer weight efficiently through his throws," Reisland said about Flacco. "These traits have allowed him to remain composed under pressure, stay on time through full field progression reads, and consistently deliver accurate passes at all three levels of the field." During the 2023 season, Flacco won four of five starts while playing under head coach Kevin Stefanski to guide the Browns to a playoff berth. None of Cleveland's other active quarterbacks has ever taken a meaningful in-game snap in Stefanski's offense. Gabriel seemingly won't be ready for regular-season action anytime soon, and Pickett missed a handful of practice days while dealing with a hamstring injury. Sanders reportedly will start against Carolina, but he's Cleveland's fourth option at the position. Even if he looks like a revelation on Friday night, all signs point to Stefanski going with Flacco for Cleveland's Week 1 game against the division rival Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. As of Wednesday morning, FanDuel Sportsbook had Flacco as a -265 betting favorite to get the nod for the Cincinnati matchup. "Flacco’s blend of polish, poise and veteran field-command paired with his ability to operate from under center or in shotgun, against pressure or in structure, makes him the clear best option to start Week 1," Reisland continued. "He’s executing with rhythm and timing, manipulating coverages and elevating the offense every time he’s under center. He looks fully prepared to lead this team on day one." While that doesn't necessarily mean Flacco will start when Cleveland faces the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2 on Sept. 14, it appears the Browns' QB1 gig is his to lose.
Indiana Fever Insider Provides Caitlin Clark Injury Update
Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark has been sidelined since July 15 with a groin injury that she suffered in the final moments of a game against the Connecticut Sun. Given that this was the third soft tissue injury that caused Clark to miss time during this 2025 WNBA season, it was clear that Indiana was going to be cautious in bringing her back to action. And this has been proven by Clark not only not playing since that game, but the franchise still has not provided a clear update on when fans can expect No. 22 to return to the court. Indiana Fever Insider Speaks On Caitlin Clark Injury Few people outside of the Fever's organization would have a better idea about the status of Clark's recovery than IndyStar Fever beat reporter Chloe Peterson. And Peterson got honest about what she has seen from Clark of late during an August 7 episode of IndyStar's Indiana Fever Insider Live podcast. "The most I know is what's already been reported, in the sense of [Clark] has been running up and down full speed. As far as I know, she hasn't come back to practice yet," Peterson said of Clark. "The last time I saw them in a practice capacity was on Tuesday. "Caitlin was there for the first couple minutes when everybody was just warming up, and then after they officially started shootaround, she left with a trainer to do some individual rehab, recovery work," Peterson continued. "She's participating in the half-court contests before each game, it seems like. But it doesn't look like she's doing drills with the team as of yet." ESPN's Holly Rowe Offers Clark Injury Update Peterson isn't the only insider who has spoken about Clark's injury of late, as ESPN reporter Holly Rowe said, "Stephanie White did give us a small update on Caitlin. That she has started some full-court running, some full-speed running, the last four or five days. Still not doing full basketball activities, but there has been some progress made," during the Fever's August 5 game. It's clear that Clark is making positive progress from her groin injury. However, given the recurring nature of these soft tissue injuries for No. 22 this season, combined with the Fever having played well when she has been sidelined to this point, it makes it likely that Indiana is going to continue to use caution in bringing Clark back on the court.
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