Pete Crow-Armstrong sounds broken after Cubs’ ugly loss

If we're going to talk about the highs of Pete Crow-Armstrong's 2025 season and place him in the MVP conversation, then it's only fair for the lows to be mentioned. There is no other way to say it than admitting that Crow-Armstrong was not a good baseball player during the Cubs' 8-7 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night. The first blunder occurred in the fourth inning of the game, after catching a long fly out hit by Alec Burleson, Crow-Armstrong was nonchalantly making his way back to the Cubs' dugout. The issue, however, was that Crow-Armstrong's catch was the second out of the inning, and Cardinals' shortstop Mason Wynn scored from second.

It hasn't been the greatest week for Crow-Armstrong when it comes to his defense in center field. Sure, the moment Crow-Armstrong steps onto the field, he instantly becomes the best defensive outfielder in the game, but with a couple of misplays during the Cubs' weekend series against the Seattle Mariners, and now Tuesday's gaffe, the mistakes have certainly gone notice. Of course, Tuesday's mental lapse was more egregious considering the weather conditions at Wrigley Field last weekend.

PCA admits he blew it in Cardinals game and it stings

Unfortunately, the errors in judgment didn't stop there for Crow-Armstrong. In the seventh inning, with Seiya Suzuki on first and Kyle Tucker on third with one out, Crow-Armstrong took it upon himself to try and bunt for a hit. The boomers out there will say that every baseball player should know how to bunt, and that was a logical play for Crow-Armstrong given his speed. The issue is that Crow-Armstrong's struggles with bunting have been well-documented in the past. Naturally, Crow-Armstrong's bunt attempt on Tuesday measly went back to the pitcher, and it was an easy out at first. Tucker had no chance of scoring on the play and was eventually stranded at third to end the inning.

After the game, Crow-Armstrong confirmed the decision to try and bunt in that situation did not come from Craig Counsell or his coaching staff. Crow-Armstrong was also honest about how he played on Tuesday.

The good news is that Crow-Armstrong still can manage a split of their four-game series with the Cardinals if they win on Wednesday and Thursday. If they don't, the panic levels may just reach a fever pitch for Cubs fans.

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