Although the Chicago Cubs locked up their first playoff berth in five years last week, Pete Crow-Armstrong was quick to insist that his team has plenty of incentive to put its best foot forward to finish off the regular season.
Fresh off snapping a season-high five-game losing skid, the Cubs (89-69) will look to win the decisive contest of their three-game series against the visiting New York Mets (81-77) on Thursday night.
Chicago squandered a five-run lead in a 9-7 setback on Tuesday before bolting out to another early five-run advantage in a 10-3 romp on Wednesday.
Crow-Armstrong provided the signature moment in the latter contest, taking advantage of a mental lapse by Mets reliever Clay Holmes to score from second base on a wild pitch in the fifth inning. Crow-Armstrong referenced another Chicago-based athlete — Bears quarterback Caleb Williams — for his inspiration on the play.
“I was able to scan the field like our boy Caleb does. Yeah, it was great,” Crow-Armstrong told Marquee Sports Network.
The Cubs boosted their advantage over the San Diego Padres (87-72) to 2 1/2 games in the battle for home-field advantage in the upcoming wild-card round series.
“The best part about our situation is that we still have a really big goal to shoot for with these remaining four games,” Crow-Armstrong told ESPN. “There’s no better place to play sweater-weather baseball than Wrigley Field.
“So, we want that home-field advantage. These next four (games) definitely matter.”
The final four contests also matter for the Mets, who are clinging to a one-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds (both 80-78) for the final wild-card spot in the National League. The Diamondbacks face the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Reds take on the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.
“You can’t worry about them,” New York manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We didn’t play good again today; it doesn’t matter what other teams are doing. It starts on us. We’re better than that.”
Francisco Alvarez belted a two-run homer for the second time in as many nights and Juan Soto went deep for a team-best 43rd time for New York, which has lost 12 of its past 17 games.
Francisco Lindor nixed the notion that the team’s early deficits are negatively affecting the team’s mindset.
“In here we’re all in it together. We win together, we lose together. We get down early, we get down together,” Lindor said. “… At the end of the day, everyone is trying to be the best version of themselves.”
Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga (9-7, 3.37 ERA) will get the start in the series finale against Mets rookie right-hander Nolan McLean (4-1, 1.27)
Imanaga has struggled mightily with keeping the ball in the park this season. He surrendered three homers in his most recent outing and 10 over his past five trips to the mound.
Imanaga, 32, has yielded three homers in two career starts (10 innings) against the Mets, going 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA
McLean, conversely, has allowed one homer in seven outings this season heading into his first career contest against the Cubs. He saw his winless streak reach three games, however, on Saturday despite yielding three runs (one earned) in five innings versus the Washington Nationals, a 5-3 loss in 11 innings.
–Field Level Media
