Crow-Armstrong’s Three-Homer Barrage Leads Cubs Past Reds in Slugfest

If you were looking for a vintage Cubs home run clinic on Saturday at Wrigley Field, the Cincinnati Reds obliged. The Chicago Cubs absolutely demolished the Reds 17-5, turning the Friendly Confines into a launching pad for a display of offensive firepower that should make National League pitchers lose sleep. This wasn’t a baseball game, it was a home run derby masquerading as a legitimate contest.

Crow-Armstrong Takes Center Stage

Let’s be direct: Pete Crow-Armstrong put on one of those performances that gets replayed for years. The Cubs’ outfielder cranked three home runs, driving in six runs on just six at-bats. That’s not excellence, that’s dominance. He opened the game with a 435-foot moonshot in the first inning, added another in the second, then sealed the deal with a two-run blast in the seventh that essentially turned this from a game into a coronation.

Crow-Armstrong wasn’t alone in his heroics, though. Alex Bregman went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer and an RBI single. Carson Kelly contributed a three-run blast and later a crucial double. Seiya Suzuki added a two-run shot of his own. This wasn’t one man carrying the load, it was a Cubs lineup that operated in perfect synchronization, punishing Andrew Abbott and whatever relievers Terry Francona sent out to stanch the bleeding.

Abbott’s Disaster, Gausman’s Solid Outing

Here’s where you have to feel for Cincinnati. Andrew Abbott simply couldn’t survive the first inning, lasting only three innings while yielding eight hits and seven earned runs. The Reds starter got touched up repeatedly, and by the time the dust settled, the Cubs had built such an insurmountable lead that any hope of a comeback evaporated faster than morning dew in August heat.

Kevin Gausman, by contrast, was rock solid for Chicago. The Cubs starter pitched five innings of respectable baseball, allowing five runs on six hits while striking out seven and walking two. He gave his offense time to put the game away, and they responded by treating every pitch like it was served up on a tee. Gausman didn’t need to be spectacular, he just needed to be competent, and that’s exactly what he delivered.

Cincinnati tried to mount a fight. Sal Stewart hit a two-run homer in the third, and Eugenio Suárez connected for a two-run shot in the second. Even JJ Bleday contributed a sacrifice fly in the fifth. But it didn’t matter. When you’re spotting your opponent a 7-0 lead before you even get to bat in the second inning, you’re playing for moral victories, not actual wins.

This was the kind of Saturday afternoon performance that reminds you why Cubs fans tolerate the lean years. When this lineup is clicking, when the power is flowing through the order from top to bottom, they’re simply devastating. The Reds came to Wrigley Field and got exposed for their inability to keep pace with a Cubs team firing on all cylinders. For Cincinnati, this is the kind of loss that stings because there’s nothing Abbott or the pitching staff could’ve realistically done to prevent the onslaught of home runs that the Cubs unleashed. Sometimes you just get beaten by a better team having a perfect day.