Crow-Armstrong Powers Cubs Past Twins with Two Homers in 8-1 Win

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Pete Crow-Armstrong continued his breakout season in style on Thursday, belting two home runs to lead the Chicago Cubs to a commanding 8-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins and avoid a series sweep.

Crow-Armstrong, recently named a National League All-Star starter, went 3-for-4 at the plate, scoring three times and driving in three runs. His fifth multi-homer game of the year included a towering 414-foot shot in the third inning and a solo blast in the seventh that tied him with teammate Seiya Suzuki for sixth in the majors with 25 home runs.

Right-hander Colin Rea (7-3) turned in a dominant performance on the mound, tossing seven strong innings and allowing just three hits — one of them a solo home run by Kody Clemens in the fifth. It marked Rea’s longest outing of the season and his third straight win.

Michael Busch, a Minnesota native, chipped in with two RBIs, while Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner sparked the offense early. Swanson doubled in the second and scored on Hoerner’s single, putting the Cubs ahead for the first time in the series.

Twins starter Chris Paddack (3-8), who has a long-standing relationship with Rea dating back to their time in San Diego, struggled throughout. He allowed 11 hits and six earned runs over five innings, continuing a rough stretch in which he’s gone 1-5 over his last 10 starts.

What’s Next:
The Cubs head to New York for a weekend series against the Yankees, with starting pitchers for both teams yet to be announced. The Twins remain home to begin a three-game set with the Pittsburgh Pirates, featuring a high-profile pitching matchup between All-Stars Paul Skenes (4-7, 1.94 ERA) and Joe Ryan (8-4, 2.76 ERA) on Friday.