Pete Crow-Armstrong slams two HRs, Cubs win series over Dodgers

LOS ANGELES – The night was dominated by Pete Crow-Armstrong, who hit two home runs and a triple as the Chicago Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium.

Crow-Armstrong, 23, a local player who attended Harvard-Westlake, hit two home runs on Sunday night. The first home run came in the third inning against right-hander Tyler Glasnow, tying the game. In the seventh inning, he hit his second home run off right-hander Blake Treinen. Additionally, in the ninth inning, he hit a triple down the right field line, marking his third hit of the night. Crow-Armstrong recorded a career-high 11 total bases.

Matthew John Armstrong and Ashley Crow, both actors, were seated behind home plate to watch their son Crow-Armstrong hit his first two home runs of the season. Ashley Crow is known for her role as Billy Haywood’s mother in the 1994 film Little Big League.

After one of their worst home defeats, Tyler Glasnow rose to the occasion by holding the Cubs to just two runs over six innings. He was only one out away from completing the sixth inning when Michael Busch hit a 403-foot home run to right field on the ninth pitch of the at-bat, connecting with an 87 mph slider. Glasnow pitched six innings, giving up three hits and two runs while striking out seven batters on 98 pitches.

Three big hits by the Cubs contributed to the defeat of the Dodgers again, including two home runs from Crow-Armstrong and Busch, who hit his second home run of the series.

Right-hander Colin Rea was aggressive in the strike zone throughout his outing, throwing a first-pitch strike to 14 of the 16 batters he faced while pitching 3 and 2/3 innings. He allowed four hits and struck out five batters on 68 pitches. Right-hander Brad Keller came in to relieve Rea and completed the inning. The Cubs used six pitchers out of the bullpen, which held the Dodgers’ offense to three hits. 

The Dodgers' offense was led by Michael Conforto and Will Smith, who each made significant contributions during the innings in which the team scored, particularly in the second and sixth innings. The team's first run of the game came from an RBI single by Kiké Hernández. In the sixth inning, with runners on second and third base, Max Muncy hit a deep fly ball to right field, allowing one runner to score on a sacrifice. Hernández recorded his fifth hit of the season, and impressively, every hit has produced a run, including four home runs among his five hits this year.

Conforto has been the regular left fielder for the Dodgers, who have an overload of talent on the roster. Conforto brings more than just his bat; it's the impact in the lineup. He is currently batting .224 with two home runs and five RBIs. He went 2-for-4 and scored both of the Dodgers' runs. 

Shohei Ohtani went hitless in five at-bats on Sunday, finishing the series against the Cubs with just one hit in twelve attempts. The Dodgers need more production from their leadoff hitter to stay competitive and avoid playing from behind in every game. Teoscar Hernandez also struggled, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Freddie Freeman sat out of the game after participating in his first two games since returning from the injured list. He did make a brief appearance as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the ninth inning but grounded out. Freeman is expected to return to the lineup on Monday night as the team begins a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies.

After starting the season with an impressive 8-0 record, the Dodgers have struggled lately, going 3-6 over their last nine games and losing three consecutive series. This past weekend, the offense managed to score only five runs. They wasted a great performance by Roki Sasaki on Saturday, who allowed just one run over five innings as the bullpen allowed 15 runs, and also did not capitalize on Glasnow’s outing, in which he surrendered only two runs over six innings.

Dave Roberts needs to find a way to kick-start the offense so the team can revert to playing consistent baseball as they open a three-game homestand. Dustin May (0-1, 0.82 ERA) will start on Monday in the opener against the Colorado Rockies, who will be sending their right-hander, Antonio Senzatela (0-2, 5.14 ERA), to the mound. The Rockies currently have a record of 3-12, with a 1-8 on the road, while the Dodgers boast a record of 11-6 and are 7-2 at home.