Michael Bush powered the Chicago Cubs with three home runs, complemented by Pete Crow-Armstrong’s two homers, as the team secured their fourth consecutive win against the St. Louis Cardinals with an 11-3 victory on Friday. Bush went 4-for-4 with five RBIs, and Crow-Armstrong also hit 4-for-4, while Dansby Swanson contributed a two-run homer during a slugging display that energized the crowd of 40,038 at Wrigley Field.
Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly each added solo home runs, helping the NL Central leaders hit six homers in the first three innings off St. Louis pitcher Miles Mikolas (4-6), whose team-record eight home runs allowed shattered franchise marks. Brendan Donovan broke the Cardinals’ 31-inning scoreless streak with a home run in the fourth, but St. Louis still fell to their fourth straight defeat.
Reliever REA pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing only one hit and marking his longest outing this season. Mikolas was hit hard, giving up eight runs and 10 hits over eight innings, exacerbating his losing streak to four games. Suzuki continued a strong start to the season with his 24th homer, while Crow-Armstrong notched his third and 23rd of the year. Bush and Kelly each recorded their second consecutive homers, giving the Cubs nine home runs total and a 4-0 lead this season.
Crow-Armstrong’s third homer of the game was launched toward the right field video board at Wrigley Field. Following a single by Swanson, Bush hit a two-run homer to push the score to 7-0. Cubs infielder John Berti pitched the ninth inning, allowing two runs.
Bush celebrated his milestone of hitting three homers in one game, becoming the seventh player in franchise history to do so. For Crow-Armstrong, this marked his fourth multi-homer game of the season and fifth overall in his young career. The 23-year-old center fielder was recently selected to start in the All-Star Game.
Fan Take: This dominant performance by the Cubs highlights their rising offensive power and depth, which could make them serious contenders in the NL Central. For baseball fans, such electrifying displays of hitting not only bring excitement but also hint at a thrilling season ahead with young stars like Crow-Armstrong emerging.
