Cubs legend Sammy Sosa speaks Pete Crow-Armstrong’s three-home run game against Reds into existence
Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong hit three home runs in a 17-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday, a performance that has strengthened his case for National League MVP honours. The 24-year-old began the game with a lead-off home run, added another in the second inning, and completed the feat with a third in the seventh, finishing 4-for-6 with six runs batted in. Cubs great Sammy Sosa, who was being honoured that day as part of the club's 150th Anniversary Team, reportedly predicted the three-homer game to Crow-Armstrong before first pitch.
The result extends Crow-Armstrong's lead over Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani in the MVP race, and he still has a chance at a 40-40 season, having hit 36 home runs and stolen 32 bases so far. Should he win the award, he would become only the tenth Cubs player to do so, following Kris Bryant in 2016 and Sosa himself in 1998, when Sosa hit 66 home runs.
- Crow-Armstrong hit three home runs as Cubs beat Reds 17-5
- Sammy Sosa reportedly predicted the feat before the game
- Performance boosts his NL MVP case over Shohei Ohtani
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The Chicago Cubs are a Major League Baseball team, and the Cincinnati Reds are one of their rivals in the National League. Sammy Sosa is a former Cubs star who hit 66 home runs in 1998 and won the National League’s Most Valuable Player award that year.
Pete Crow-Armstrong is a Cubs outfielder, while Shohei Ohtani is a leading player for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The MVP award recognises the player judged most valuable in each league over the season; a 40-40 season means hitting 40 home runs and stealing 40 bases.
The award matters to the Cubs because only a small number of their players have won it, most recently Kris Bryant in 2016. Crow-Armstrong’s mix of power hitting and speed has put him among the players being discussed for this season’s honour.