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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.
More must-reads:
- Blue Jays' Trey Yesavage is already making the rest of MLB look foolish for passing on him
- Nationals set to hire MLB's youngest manager in over 50 years
- The 'World Series walk-off home runs' quiz
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George Springer's status for Game 6 is becoming more clear
George Springer’s status for Game 6 of the World Series is becoming more clear. Springer has missed the last two games of the World Series after hurting his side on a swing in his Toronto Blue Jays’ 18-inning loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3. The Blue Jays were able to win Game 4 on Tuesday and Game 5 on Wednesday despite the outfielder’s absence. On Thursday, Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Springer is physically ready to play in Game 6. “He’s checked every box physically so far,” Schneider said of Springer. Getting Springer back would be a nice boost to the Blue Jays’ lineup, which has performed well even without him. Springer went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Game 3 before leaving the game. He’s batting .246 with an .884 OPS this postseason and has mashed 6 doubles and 4 home runs in 57 at-bats. Springer went 1-for-3 in Game 2 against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is the Dodgers’ scheduled starter for Game 6. Springer’s double was the Blue Jays’ only extra-base hit of the game, and he scored their only run that contest. His presence would be a big help for Toronto.
Charles Barkley knows the real problem with LeBron James
LeBron James may be out due to sciatica, but Charles Barkley is not buying it. He thinks he knows what is really going on with the Los Angeles Lakers star. Barkley was goofing around during “Inside the NBA” on ESPN Wednesday and talked about the Lakers, who had several players out for their game at the Minnesota Timberwolves. James was listed as out due to sciatica, which is a nerve issue. Barkley thinks the sciatica injury is a cover for something else. “First of all, LeBron doesn’t have a sciatica. They just put ‘old.’ O-L-D, with an extra ‘D,’ too,” Barkley joked. An update on James’ condition came out this week, saying that the Lakers forward could return in a few weeks. The Lakers have seemed to suggest that there is no urgency to rush James into action. However, Luka Doncic also getting hurt recently may have changed things for the team. For now, the Lakers are 3-2 and have been relying on Austin Reaves to do plenty of scoring. He is averaging 34.2 points per game this season. James is 40 years old and entering his 23rd NBA season. He’s allowed to have “old” or sciatica as an injury issue. As Barkley knows and often says, Father Time is undefeated.
Do NFL executives believe Patriots can topple Bills in AFC East?
While the Buffalo Bills have won the AFC East division title for the past five seasons, the 6-2 New England Patriots will enter Week 9 holding a slight lead over 5-2 Buffalo in the standings. Under first-year Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, second-year quarterback Drake Maye has emerged as a strong MVP candidate. In an article published on Friday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler talked with several NFL executives about whether they believe the Patriots are a "real" contender this fall. One executive "not quite ready to pass the torch" regarding Patriots-Bills fight "I think the quarterback is real," one unnamed AFC executive said while referencing Maye. "He keeps getting better. He has an excellent OC who will get every drop out of that offense. And Vrabes has them playing good team football. I'm not quite ready to pass the torch now." Such an opinion is understandable given that Bills quarterback Josh Allen is the reigning MVP and has made 13 career playoff starts. Of course, Maye has not yet played in a playoff game, but he did lead New England to a 23-20 upset victory in Buffalo on Oct. 5. According to Pro Football Reference stats, Maye ended October ranked fifth in the NFL among qualified players with a 76.0 adjusted QBR, second with a 118.7 passer rating and first with a 75.2 percent completion percentage for the season. Per StatMuse, he's tied for fourth in the league with 17 combined passing and rushing touchdowns, and he's third with 2,276 combined passing and rushing yards. What concerns one executive about Patriots' attempt to topple Bills? The Patriots are reportedly among the teams seeking a pass-rusher before the Nov. 4 trade deadline. Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals and Kayvon Thibodeaux of the New York Giants are two players previously connected with New England who reportedly won't be traded this fall. "I think they are a year away from being really good," a different AFC executive added about the Patriots. "The defense isn't all the way there yet. But the offensive line is showing promise, and the quarterback is picking things up really fast. He's not close to his ceiling." If Maye gets closer to that ceiling in the next two months, the Patriots might secure the AFC's top overall seed for the playoffs.
Three wild quotes from Louisiana governor Jeff Landry that could wreck LSU head-coaching search
For three days, the LSU Tigers had the most appealing head-coaching opening in college football. That changed Wednesday, when first-term Louisiana governor Jeff Landry (R) opened his mouth. Below are three absurd statements from Landry that should make prospective candidates run in the other direction instead of considering becoming the next LSU head coach. 1. Who's in charge? What Landry said: "No, I can tell you right now [athletic director] Scott Woodward is not selecting our next coach. Maybe we'll let President Trump pick it." Reaction: What should terrify candidates the most is how unorganized the search for head coach is at the top, creating a trickle-down effect that could permeate throughout the program. With an embattled AD — who has since been fired — plus the university looking for its next president, LSU's next head coach has no way of knowing what administration he'll be answering to. That uncertainty is no way to attract elite candidates. 2. Pot, meet kettle What Landry said about hiring the next football coach at LSU: "We're gonna make sure that he's compensated properly, and we're gonna put metrics on it because I'm tired of rewarding failure in this country and then leaving the taxpayers to foot the bill." Reaction: One of three programs with three national titles this century (joining Alabama and Ohio State), LSU has higher expectations for its football team than at most FBS programs. Landry's comments raise questions about how much time the Tigers will give their next head coach to construct a winner. What kind of metrics will be in place? It's normal for coaches to earn raises with conference or national championships, but what happens if Kelly's successor doesn't have the same immediate success he did, leading the team to the SEC title game and coaching a Heisman winner (Jayden Daniels) in his first two seasons? "I'm tired of rewarding failure in this country" is also a rich statement from a man whose state was ranked 46th of 50 states in education and last for economy by U.S. News World Report. 3. Politicians should stay out of sports What Landry said: "All I care about is what the taxpayers are going to be on the hook [for]." Reaction: Is it too much to ask that our elected officials know how things work? Landry was asked why LSU officials met with him at the governor's mansion before Kelly's firing, and his reasoning was nonsensical. Coaching buyouts, including Kelly's, are often paid through boosters with money to burn, not taxpayers. WDSU-New Orleans reporter Travers Mackel wrote on Monday that one private donor will foot the majority of Kelly's buyout. "Zero public money set aside for education, salaries or scholarships will be used," Mackel wrote. Landry's meddling in Kelly's firing is more than just concern for Louisiana taxpayers. "In the absence of a permanent president [at LSU], the governor has grabbed authority over key decisions," Yahoo Sports reporter Ross Dellenger wrote earlier this week. (A search for a new university president is in the final stages, according to The Advocate.) Politicians have no reason to get involved with college coaching decisions. Where does their influence end? What if the best available candidate doesn't share Landry's leanings? It's ridiculous to even have to consider. Well, everywhere but at LSU.
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