Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has been determined to improve his game. As the team’s sole All-Star, he has concentrated on enhancing his performance against left-handed pitchers, benefiting both him and the Cubs this season. Cubs manager Craig Counsell highlighted the significance of Crow-Armstrong’s improvements, stating, “I think Pete’s improvement against left-handed pitching is significant as to one of the reasons why we’ve improved against left-handed pitchers.”
During the Cubs’ 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, Crow-Armstrong was 1-for-2 with a hit by pitch against left-hander Matthew Liberatore. The Cubs took an early lead while Liberatore struggled with control, walking a batter and hitting two others. This season, the Cubs excel against left-handers with a .776 OPS, ranking second in the major leagues. Crow-Armstrong’s enhanced skills against pitches from left-handers have bolstered the Cubs’ lineup. He currently hits .286 with a .922 OPS against them, a remarkable improvement from previous performance metrics.
Crow-Armstrong’s edge comes from his decision to position himself closer to the plate. He was previously 26.9 inches away, but adjustments have brought him to around 23.7 inches. Being closer to the plate has improved his discipline, despite increased vulnerability to inside pitches. He was hit by a 93.8 mph sinker from Liberatore, which marked the sixth time he’s been hit this way, doubling last year’s tally.
“Weirdly enough, getting on the dish has made me feel like I have more time to cover all parts of the plate,” Crow-Armstrong remarked. His rising performance against lefties is acknowledged, having been named National League player of the month for June, hitting .381 with 11 homers, 20 RBIs, and eight steals.
Cubs starter Javier Assad had a challenging second inning but recovered well, throwing 4 2/3 scoreless innings. Assad explained his approach: “You just try to attack the zone. Catcher Carson Kelly did a great job, and everything worked well for me.” The Cubs’ bullpen stepped in after Assad, though Tyler Ferguson gave up a three-run home run to Jordan Walker. However, the Cubs capitalized on Cardinals’ errors in the sixth inning, scoring important runs to secure the win.
Manager Counsell noted, “There was contact and they made some mistakes, but the ball has to be in play for mistakes to happen. We took advantage of some mistakes for a big inning.”
On another note, Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon, rehabilitating from a left hamstring injury, had a promising outing with High-A South Bend, allowing one run on four hits over 3 1/3 innings.
Freelance reporter Andy Martinez covers for the Chicago Tribune.