It was another spectacular night for the Chicago Cubs' offense on Wednesday, especially for future star Pete Crowe Armstrong. The speedster once again had a multi-hit night (his 8th of the year) on Wednesday, and helped the Cubs defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 7-6 final score.
Coming off a Tuesday night in which the Cubs walked off the Dodgers in extra innings, the stage was set for a two-game series sweep at Wrigley Field. And the Cubs delivered.
The Dodgers kicked off the scoring in the third inning with outfielder Teoscar Hernandez hitting a two-run single to left to put the Dodgers up 2-0. That lead would not last long however, as Crow-Armstrong smacked a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead.
Pete’s finding his POWER! pic.twitter.com/BBsWK25a8M
— Cubs On Tap (@CubbiesOnTap) April 24, 2025
Dodgers' shortstop Mookie Betts fired back in the top of the fifth inning, hitting a game-tying RBI double, and Hernandez followed it up with a two-run homer to make it 5-3 Dodgers.
The Cubs’ offense took the lead right back in the bottom half of the fifth inning thanks to a clutch RBI single from Dansby Swanson, a SAC fly from Nico Hoerner, and, to no one’s surprise, an RBI single from Crow-Armstrong to give the Cubs a 7-5 advantage.
Stay hot, PCA! pic.twitter.com/YojTcAW34Q
— Cubs On Tap (@CubbiesOnTap) April 24, 2025
Dodgers’ outfielder Andy Pages hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning, but thanks to a locked-in Cubs bullpen, that was the last run the Dodgers would put up for the rest of the night.
Matthew Boyd took the win on the mound for the Cubs, posting his third quality start of 2025 and second against the Dodgers this year. The left-hander tossed six innings with four strikeouts, one walk, and just 3 earned runs. Cubs’ relievers Daniel Palencia and Julian Merryweather each posted scoreless frames and earned holds, and Porter Hodges shut things down in the ninth inning to earn his first save of the season.
Crow-Armstrong led Cubs hitters for the night, going 3 for 4 with a home run, four RBIs, and two stolen bases. It was his second straight three-hit night, as well as his second straight night with a home run. Crow-Armstrong has also been excellent against Dodgers' pitching this year, with a .345 batting average, four home runs, and 12 RBIs against the defending World Series champions.
The win for the Cubs gives them a 4-3 season series win over the Dodgers and a 16-10 overall record.
After an off day on Thursday, the Cubs stay at home and host the Philadelphia Phillies starting on Friday at 1:20 PM. Right-hander Colin Rea will take the ball for the home team, who owns a 1.32 ERA in 13.2 innings pitched this year. He will face off against Taijuan Walker, who has a 1-1 record and a 2.29 ERA.
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The Milwaukee Brewers have been the subject of plenty of noise ahead of the trade deadline. Milwaukee has been great and has a 61-41 record, but there was chatter about the possibility of cutting ties with some of the big names on the roster until very recently. It hasn't made much sense from the beginning because the Brewers have been good overall this season, but they are a small-market club so there's been plenty of buzz about sending guys to teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers or New York Yankees or other teams like that. Freddy Peralta specifically has been at the middle of the weird noise, but a deal doesn't seem likely. Robert Murray of FanSided is the latest to say a deal is unlikely. "They have baseball’s best record (61-41)," Murray said. "They have veteran Christian Yelich and breakout young stars Jackson Chourio and Jacob Misiorowski. They have Pat Murphy, the midseason favorite to win National League Manager of the Year. And they have Freddy Peralta, who is highly unlikely to be traded this season but has an uncertain future in Milwaukee beyond 2025. "A player such as, say, Eugenio Suarez would be a terrific fit and would further bolster the Brewers’ World Series aspirations. In addition to potentially adding a corner infielder, sources say Milwaukee is open to upgrading the backup catcher position and adding an optionable reliever." Milwaukee is a true World Series contender. At this point, it doesn't make any sense at all to trade away guys who can help this season.
There is not a bigger sporting event in North America than the Super Bowl, and tickets are only getting more expensive every year. There is also a ridiculous secondary market for tickets where seats sell for well above the original face value. It is usually fans or ticket resellers going for a quick profit. But as was reported on Friday, sometimes it can be players in the NFL looking to make a profit. According to multiple reports, including the Associated Press and ESPN, more than 100 players are facing fines and potential suspensions for selling their allotment of tickets to this year's Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs for above face value. Players are reportedly facing fines of one-and-a-half times the face value they originally paid for the tickets, while they are also prevented from purchasing tickets to the Super Bowl for the next seasons. The Associated Press obtained a memo from the NFL detailing the violation and investigation. That memo was as follows: “Our initial investigation has determined that a number of NFL players and coaches, employed by several NFL Clubs, sold Super Bowl tickets for more than the ticket’s face value in violation of the Policy. This long-standing League Policy, which is specifically incorporated into the Collective Bargaining Agreement, prohibits League or Club employees, including players, from selling NFL game tickets acquired from their employer for more than the ticket’s face value or for an amount greater than the employee originally paid for the ticket, whichever is less. We are in the process of completing our investigation into this matter, but the investigation has revealed that club employees and players sold their tickets to a small number of ‘bundlers’ who were working with a ticket reseller to sell the Super Bowl tickets above face value.” If players are not willing to pay the fine, they could be facing suspension from the league. It seems unlikely that any of the players — none of whom have been named, or their teams — would refuse to pay such a fine. It's also one of those moments where you can say, professional athletes — they're still normal people trying to make a quick buck. The most logical answer here is perhaps some of the players caught up in this are younger players who have not yet struck it rich on a big contract or perhaps even practice squad players who are not making top dollar.
The Cincinnati Bengals have finally reached an agreement with first-round pick Shemar Stewart, putting an end to what became the story of the offseason for the team. Stewart, drafted 17th overall in this year's draft, has finally agreed to a four-year, fully guaranteed $18.97 million deal that includes a $10.4 million signing bonus, according to his agent Zac Hiller of LAA. Now with this deal done, every first-round pick is signed. The road to this deal was a bumpy ride. For months, negotiations between Stewart’s camp and the Bengals front office stalled due to disagreements over contract language, particularly around guarantees. The team pushed to include contract language that could void the deal under certain off-field circumstances, but since other Bengals first-round picks did not face similar terms, Stewart stood firm and refused to sign. Both sides remained firm throughout the offseason, leading to a long standoff and a lot of reports of frustration from both sides. Despite the frustration and disagreement, the Bengals and Stewart’s group continued to engage in conversations, trying to find a resolution to the issue. And finally, after weeks of back and forth and weeks of controversy surrounding what Stewart may be forced to do, both parties appear to have met in the middle and found common ground. For the Bengals, getting Stewart signed and ready for training camp is a major win. Stewart was viewed as a developmental prospect who needed plenty of on-field reps to reach his full potential. Stewart's absence from earlier camps had slowed a lot of his progress. With the contract dispute resolved, he can now focus entirely on gaining important reps and continuing his development over the coming weeks. Now with this contract done and over with, the team can put their full focus on Trey Hendrickson, who is also seeking a long term deal. If the Bengals can get a deal done with Trey before the season kicks off, they would secure their edge-rushing room for not only 2025, but for years beyond. For a team looking to go all in on making the playoffs, signing Stewart was long overdue. Now it will be vital for the team to get Stewart up to speed with the rest of the roster, and allow him to get as many reps as possible before the 2025 season begins.
Who doesn't love playing in a big market like New York, Los Angeles, and some of the other prime destinations that the NBA has to offer? Kevin Love certainly doesn't mind them. In fact, the former All-Star prefers them. Jake Fischer recently offered insight into where the aging big man may end up as his next destination. The NBA insider reaffirmed previous reports that stated Love prefers a big market. Fischer said, "So with Kevin Love, to my understanding, he really only wants to be in the big glamour markets. I do think it would mostly be something along the lines of Kevin Love going to a New York or a Los Angeles type of situation. So, we'll see if that can materialize for him." With the New York Knicks still in the market for a boost to their depth, Love could be a natural connection for the team to explore. The recently-traded big man will await his buyout from the Utah Jazz. If or when those terms are settled, the Knicks could add the former champion to a spot on the bench. Veteran presence of Kevin Love not without value for New York Love is certainly long past his days as a double-double machine, like he was with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The floor-spacing big man is not even what he used to be with the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, writing him off entirely would be unwise. If there is not key thing Love can still offer to any team, it is undoubtedly his 3-point shooting. The 36-year-old shot 35.8 percent from beyond the arc last season for the Miami Heat. No one is saying to offer Love a prominent bench role, or anything of the sort. However, when the situation calls for an offensive lift and a spaced out floor, the former top five pick can still fit the bill in that scenario.
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