The Cubs’ season ended Wednesday night with a 4-1 loss to the Padres, and Pete Crow-Armstrong’s October fade was the kind of thing that can unite rivals who usually can’t agree on anything.
Chicago managed only eight hits and one run over the two games, despite owning the highest-scoring offense in baseball during the regular season. Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman combined to go 0-for-15 with eight strikeouts, a brutal finish for a lineup that arrived in the wild card round with real expectations.
Bregman at least had a reason to be limited. He was hit in the face by a pitch on September 20 and still somehow made it back in time for the Cubs’ postseason run.
Crow-Armstrong had no such excuse, and his night included repeated check swing-driven arguments with third base umpire Bill Miller. Dodgers fans watching had seen the act before, and Miller showed unusual patience by not tossing him.
For Los Angeles, none of this came as a shock. Crow-Armstrong has already built a habit of talking big and then coming up empty when the games tighten.
After taking shots at the Dodgers before his first series against them in Los Angeles, he went just 2-for-10 with five strikeouts. After saying he was " made for fall baseball," he vanished.
That made Wednesday’s exit feel like part of a pattern, not a one-off. Crow-Armstrong was only making his second postseason appearance, but the early October numbers are ugly: he hit .185 with a .399 OPS in last year’s brief playoff run, then went 2-for-17 against the Brewers.
The Dodgers know Petco Park can be a tough place to survive in the postseason, but they also know their own stars have handled it before. Game 4 of the 2024 NLDS still hangs there as the reminder.
So while the Padres advancing is bad news for the Dodgers in the bigger picture, it still gave their fans something to enjoy: a common enemy getting shut down when it mattered most.
And with Shohei Ohtani’s struggles this season, Dodgers fans may not even be too bothered by Crow-Armstrong eventually winning the MVP. They can live with that. What will sting a little more is how little he gave the Cubs when the lights were brightest.
In Other News...
Dodgers Face A Miguel Rojas Postseason Wrinkle They Didn't Expect
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There is also a bigger layer hanging over the situation, one that makes this more than just a travel inconvenience. Rojas has said he would only keep playing if the Dodgers offer him a contract, and his current deal runs out after the World Series, leaving his future unsettled even as the club tries to line up for October. For a team that has leaned on experience and versatility all season, it is a reminder that the roster questions do not stop when the bracket does. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Finally Know When Their NLDS Opener Will Begin
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The broader playoff picture also tightened up Wednesday, when the Padres beat the Cubs 4-1 to finish a two-game sweep in the wild card series and move on to face the Brewers. For the Dodgers, the next step still depends on the result of the Atlanta-Philadelphia game, and while the first pitch is locked in, the remaining schedule for the series has yet to be determined. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers NLDS Opener Comes With A Tough Twist Fans Will Feel
The Dodgers now know their NLDS opener will arrive Saturday at 1 p.m. PT, and the matchup will come against either the Braves or the Phillies once the deciding game is settled Thursday. San Diegos sweep through the Wild Card round cleared the path for Los Angeles, but the first step of this next series carries an immediate test before a pitch is even thrown.
Forecasts are calling for temperatures near 100 degrees for the opener, a brutal backdrop that could shape how the game is played. Heat this extreme can wear on hitters and lengthen the challenge for both clubs, making the start of the series feel less like a normal October afternoon and more like a survival test. [Read more 🡒]