Pete Crow Armstrong added another historic achievement to his remarkable season as the Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 9 to 1 on Sunday and moved to the brink of clinching a playoff berth.
Crow Armstrong hit his 45th home run, tying for the major league lead, and became the first center fielder in major league history to record at least 40 home runs, 30 doubles and 30 stolen bases in one season.
A complete performance from Crow Armstrong
Crow Armstrong finished with three hits, two runs batted in, three runs scored, a double and a stolen base. His fifth inning home run stretched Chicago's lead and continued a late season surge that has strengthened the Cubs' playoff position.
Michael Conforto and Seiya Suzuki also homered. David Peterson allowed one run on three hits across six innings as Chicago improved to 87 wins and 69 losses.
Cubs move to the brink
The Cubs now need one Arizona Diamondbacks loss to secure a postseason berth. Chicago also remained in position to claim the top National League wild card spot and the home field advantage that comes with it.
Alex Bregman left the game after a foul ball struck him near the left eye while he stood in the on deck circle. The Cubs had not announced a diagnosis or timeline as of Sunday afternoon.
Chicago has six regular season games remaining. Crow Armstrong's milestone and the team's dominant series victory have the Cubs positioned to make their playoff place official soon.
*Featured image: Pete Crow Armstrong with the Iowa Cubs in 2023, photographed by Minda Haas Kuhlmann. Licensed under [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/).*