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Pete Crow-Armstrong sent Wrigley Field in hysterics Monday night when he blasted a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Cubs a 7–5 win over the cross-town rival White Sox.
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While his moonshot that hit off the scoreboard in right field was pretty darn sweet, the history he made with it was even cooler.
It all started in the bottom of the first inning, when Crow-Armstrong led off the game for the Cubs with a 376-foot home run to right field on the first pitch that he saw. Then, a few hours later, his 391-foot shot ended the game and made him just the seventh player in MLB history to hit a leadoff home run and a walk-off home run in the same game. It’s the first time that anyone has accomplished it since 2010 when Chris Young did it for the Diamondbacks.
That’s the kind of night you don’t even dream about as a kid because the chances of it happening are just so slim. But Crow-Armstrong pulled it off and was able to do it in front of his home crowd in the middle of a playoff chase. Pretty darn cool.
Here’s how Crow-Armstrong started his historic night:
PCA FIRST PITCH SWINGING. pic.twitter.com/nH4USr6iC2
– Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 18, 2026
And here’s how he ended it:
PCA REACHES THE 30/30 MARK IN WALK-OFF FASHION. pic.twitter.com/1JvfTLDk02
– Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 18, 2026
That’s a really impressive way to not only win a game for your team, but to also join the 30/30 club as Crow-Armstrong, 24, now as 30 home runs and 31 stolen bases. He became the first player in Cubs history to have back-to-back seasons of at least 30 homers and 30 stolen bases and is the only player in franchise history to have to 30-plus home run seasons before the age of 25.
What Pete Crow-Armstrong said about his mindset going into the game
The Cubs’ star center fielder has done it all for his squad this year and is in the NL MVP discussion because of it.
After Monday night’s win he explained his mindset going into the game and made it sound a lot easier than it actually was.
“Today, I was like, ‘Man, it’s pedal to the metal,'” Crow-Armstrong said moments after his historic walk-off home run. “Have some conviction in the swings that you’re taking. Don’t be afraid to swing and miss kind of stuff. Simple as that really.”
His manager, Craig Counsell, was rightfully in awe of what he witnessed from Crow-Armstrong against the White Sox.
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“This might be his best game in the big leagues right here,” Counsell said. “It was an amazing game. … We’ve had a number of these moments this season from Pete.”
Crow-Armstrong’s stats from the win show just how impressive he was at the plate:
Pete Crow-Armstrong’s performance tonight — featuring 2 HRs, 2B, 1B, BB, K, SB and 3 RBIs — added 0.5 fWAR to his season total, which is wild.
12 qualified MLB hitters have produced an fWAR less than that this season, including Kyle Tucker (0.4).
– Meghan Montemurro (@MegMontemurro) August 18, 2026
How the NL MVP race looks right now
Crow-Armstrong is in a heated MVP race with Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, who also hit two home runs Monday night in a win over the Rockies in Denver. Ohtani is hitting .295 with 29 home runs and 78 RBI. Crow-Armstrong is hitting .281 with 31 home runs and 78 RBI.
Ohtani, of course, has an advantage because he also pitches. He has an 8–2 record on the mound this year with a 1.79 ERA.
It’s safe to say this race is going to remain a fun one the rest of the season and would be awesome if they were to square off in the playoffs.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Pete Crow-Armstrong Made the Coolest MLB Home Run History With His Walk-Off Blast vs. White Sox.
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This story was originally published August 18, 2026 at 9:05 AM.