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Cubs Make History Against Cardinals on Fourth of July

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Gavin M. Groe | Last updated Jul 4, 2025 5:02 PM ET

The Chicago Cubs are 52–35 and in sole possession of first place in the NL Central as they head into a weekend divisional series with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Chicago’s lineup has been a driving force, ranking second in MLB with 5.3 runs per game and belting 125 homers—the fifth-highest total in the league.

A major catalyst for that surge has been the breakout season of Pete Crow-Armstrong, who earned his first All-Star selection as the National League’s center fielder on Wednesday.

In 86 games this year, Crow-Armstrong is hitting .265 with an .837 OPS, smashing 21 home runs and swiping 26 bases to showcase his blend of power and speed.

During Friday’s Fourth of July matchup at Wrigley Field, the Cubs’ offense rewrote the record books.

They launched six home runs in the first three innings—the most in franchise history. Michael Busch and Crow-Armstrong each went deep twice in those opening frames, marking the first time two Cubs teammates have each hit two homers within the first three innings of a game.

Six home runs are the most in Cubs history through the first 3 innings of a game

With Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong, this is the first time two Cubs players each had two HR in the first 3 innings of a game https://t.co/bIgtMVLMiS
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) July 4, 2025

Chicago’s offense erupted for seven runs in the first three innings, with Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly also homering off Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas, who allowed eight hits in that span.

Chicago will look to bolster its NL Central lead as the All-Star break approaches in a competitive division with four teams above .500, relying on its red-hot bats to stay scorching. A division title this year would be the Cubs’ first since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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