Pete Crow-Armstrong belts two solo homers vs. Orioles
Pete Crow-Armstrong hit his second home run of the night—and his 21st of the 2026 season—on July 8 against the Baltimore Orioles, crushing a solo shot to right-center off Dean Kremer that gave the Chicago Cubs a 4-3 lead in the fifth inning. The blast followed an earlier solo homer in the third and extended a hot stretch that has Cubs teammates marveling at the All-Star center fielder.
Key Takeaways
- Pete Crow-Armstrong went deep twice on July 8 against Baltimore, reaching 20 and 21 home runs on solo shots.
- His fifth-inning blast traveled 419 feet with a 106.7 mph exit velocity off an 83.5 mph splitter.
- The first homer opened scoring in the third inning with a solo shot over the right-field wall.
- PCA entered July batting .471 through five games after a .381 June at the plate.
- Chicago teammates say sustaining this version of Crow-Armstrong would be special for years to come.
What happened on Pete Crow-Armstrong's second homer?
With one out in the top of the fifth, Crow-Armstrong attacked a splitter from Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer. MLB.com tracked the contact at 106.7 mph off the bat, a 35-degree launch angle, and a 419-foot carry to right-center field.
It was his second solo home run of the game and his 21st long ball of the season. The swing gave Chicago a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth.
How did his first homer of the night set the tone?
Earlier in the same game, Crow-Armstrong struck first for Chicago. Yahoo Sports footage shows him sending a solo home run over the right-field wall in the third inning to open the scoring—his 20th homer of the year.
Both blasts traveled without runners aboard, bookending a two-homer night for the Cubs center fielder against Baltimore. For a newly minted two-time All-Star following a spectacular June, the pair of solo shots added another headline to a breakout 2026 season.
Why does this two-homer game matter for the Cubs?
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Crow-Armstrong entered July batting .471 through his first five games of the month, building on a June in which he hit .381. He also carried a .383 on-base percentage and 41 walks through 91 games—sharp gains from a 2025 season when he reached base at a .287 clip in 157 games.
Teammates have taken notice. Ian Happ told the Sun-Times that if you "bottled this player that he is right this second and gave him 15 more years of that, it'd be pretty special." Nico Hoerner added that the walks Crow-Armstrong is drawing make him "so lethal" because he is such a good baserunner.
The two-time All-Star signed a contract extension before the season that runs through 2032. Nights like July 8 reinforce why Chicago views him as a long-term franchise cornerstone with thump, speed, and defense in the same package.
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For more trending coverage across sports milestones and fast-moving stories, browse our Fintech & Crypto Alerts hub. Official video and Statcast data for Crow-Armstrong's 21st homer remain available through MLB.com and Yahoo Sports game highlights.