CHICAGO – Cubs heart fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong thought it was “cool” hitting the furthest pitch from the strike zone for a house run in MLB this season.
The excessive fastball, from Pittsburgh Pirates starter Andrew Heaney within the fourth inning on Thursday evening, measured 8.1 inches above the sting of the strike zone, the furthest pitch exterior the zone hit for a homer this yr, in line with ESPN Analysis.
Crow-Armstrong crushed it out to proper area to interrupt a scoreless tie.
“I am simply committing to being on time for it,” he mentioned after the Cubs 3-2 win. “He has an excellent heater in a low slot. It presents itself with a number of carry. I am already considering on high. Good to execute on a pitch like that.”
The 2-run blast was Crow-Armstrong’s 18th of the season, all coming during the last two calendar months. He is been a foul ball grasp this season, hitting them each above and under the strike zone for dwelling runs.
“What you’ve got seen in 30 years of baseball says it is arduous to hit balls for dwelling runs,” Cubs supervisor Craig Counsell mentioned. “He is proving me incorrect.”
Along with hitting the excessive fastball off Heaney, Crow-Armstrong additionally has two of the 5 dwelling runs hit in MLB this season on pitches a minimum of three inches under the zone, together with one which was 5.8 inches under in early Might.
“Generally he hits them off the bottom and typically he hits them over his head,” Cubs reliever Ryan Pressly mentioned. “I do not even know the right way to pitch Pete, to be trustworthy with you.”
Crow-Armstrong is making a powerful all-star case in his second full season within the large leagues. Along with the 18 dwelling runs, he has 21 stolen bases whereas enjoying gold glove caliber protection for the primary place Cubs. That offense and defensive mixture has vaulted him to the highest of the Nationwide League in fWAR. However its these dwelling runs which have been eye opening.
“He is on time and that is permitting his A-swing to get off,” Counsell mentioned. “His A-swing can deal with numerous pitches.”
Crow-Armstrong is tied for second within the NL in RBI along with his teammate Seiya Suzuki, who additionally homered on Thursday. The 2 have been jockeying for the workforce lead in each classes. Suzuki has 17 dwelling runs to Crow-Armstrong’s 18. Its created a enjoyable rivalry between the 2 as they have been a part of a harmful trio, together with proper fielder Kyle Tucker, in the midst of the Cubs lineup.
“What I am doing is simply contributing to the larger image,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I am nonetheless simply making an attempt to play my half as a result of that is what’s labored rather well for us. On any given day I haven’t got to be the man. That is the good factor ever.”