(Reuters) — Pete Crow-Armstrong busted out of his slump with a season-high four hits to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 6-1 victory over the host St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night.
The Cubs centerfielder entered with a modest four-game hitting streak, but he was hitting just .154 (10 for 65) in his last 19 games. His 4-for-5 night included a double and his seventh home run of the season. He scored twice and drove in a pair.
Ben Brown (2-2) limited St. Louis to just three hits and a run over seven innings, which tied his career high. He struck out six and walked one.
The Cubs took the lead in the sixth, scoring twice thanks to a throwing error by Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-1) that allowed Miguel Amaya to reach with one out. Fernandez then walked Dansby Swanson, prompting manager Oliver Marmol to bring in Justin Bruihl.
Bruihl hit Crow-Armstrong to load the bases, and Nico Hoerner, who went 2-for-6, singled to right to bring home the go-ahead run. Michael Busch followed with a sacrifice fly to right to make it a two-run game.
Ian Happ went 2-for-5 in the win.
The Cardinals struck first in the fourth with Alec Burleson’s one-out single to right scoring JJ Wetherholt, who led off the inning with a single up the middle.
Chicago answered in its next at-bats. Busch hit a one-out single to center that brought home Crow-Armstrong, who doubled off starter Kyle Leahy to lead off the frame.
The Busch single would end the night for Leahy, who scattered six hits in 4-1/3 innings. He struck out four with no walks and hit a batter.
Fernandez pitched an inning. He did not allow a hit, but he walked a pair, and his error led to two unearned runs.
Crow-Armstrong added an insurance run in the eighth, blistering a Gordon Graceffo fastball 444 feet to right field as St. Louis fans showered the centerfielder with chants of “overrated.” At 114.6 MPH, it was also the hardest-hit ball of his career, according to the TV broadcast.
An inning later, his line drive single scored Seiya Suzuki, and he ended the game robbing Jordan Walker of extra bases with a sliding catch in the left-center gap.
