Pete Crow-Armstrong scored the tying run in the bottom of the ninth inning in what was a thrilling victory for his Chicago Cubs on Monday night, but it wasn’t necessarily a smooth sequence.
With the Cubs trailing the visiting Cincinnati Reds 4-3 in the final quarter, Crow-Armstrong started things off with a triple. Nico Hoerner then came to the plate with one out and hit a fly ball to left field.
With Crow-Armstrong being among the fastest players in baseball, he was sent to the plate on what turned into a sacrifice fly and crossed the plate standing up, but he should have gone down and slid as he was nearly thrown out.
Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong reacts after throwing out the Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on April 25, 2026. (Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images)
CUBS CO-OWNER PUSHES BACKWAKEN REPERCUSSION, MATT SHAW RECEIVED TO ATTEND CHARLIE KIRK MEMORIAL
In this scenario, the player in the circle on the bridge is responsible for telling the runner whether to slide home or stand. The player in this situation was Matt Shaw, who, according to the reaction of the PCA in the dugout, did not fulfill his duties.
The broadcast caught Crow-Armstrong getting animated in the dugout with Shaw, letting him know that his signaling wasn’t good enough, which nearly led to disaster in the play.
PCA was in no way disrespectful or over the top towards Shaw; he was simply letting the second-year player know that he needed to be bolder in this situation.
Shaw didn’t have an opportunity at the plate to potentially win the game after PCA screwed things up, as Michael Conforto stepped in to hit in his place.
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Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs reacts during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field on April 20, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) (Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images)
It turned out to be the right decision on the part of Chicago manager Craig Counsell.
Conforto launched a fastball to left-center field for the home run to extend the Cubs’ winning streak to six games with a 5-4 victory. It was certainly an opportune moment for Conforto to hit his first long ball of the season.
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Michael Conforto #20 of the Chicago Cubs celebrates his home run in the bottom of the ninth inning during a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field on May 4, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) (Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images)
Since April 14, the Cubs have won 16 of their last 19 games, but, surprisingly, they only hold a two-game lead in the National League Central standings.
