Pete Crow-Armstrong was at the center of a controversial moment during the Chicago Cubs’ narrow 4-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. In a game where both teams’ announcers found rare common ground, a questionable strikeout call against Crow-Armstrong sparked criticism from both sides.
It happened in the bottom of the 5th inning with the Cubs leading comfortably, 3-0. Crow-Armstrong was behind in the count when Orioles pitcher threw a pitch that clearly missed the strike zone. Despite that, the umpire rang him up, calling it a strikeout.
The reaction from the Cubs broadcast team was immediate and blunt: “That’s egregious. That’s horrible.” They emphasized how far outside the pitch was and even added, “Good at mountain ball, bad call there. I’m sure right now Jiménez realizes he missed this one by a lot.”
Even the Orioles announcers didn’t defend the call
Kevin Brown, calling the game for MASN, expressed his surprise when the umpire called it a strike, noting the pitch was high and off the outer corner. That’s a gift for Jimenez, he said, as Crow-Armstrong stood in disbelief, visibly arguing with the umpire.
The Orioles would go on to win the game—marking their first victory of August in the second matchup of the series against the Cubs. It’s also the second game of a six-game road trip before they return home on August 8 to host the Athletics.
Orioles in bad shape
As for Baltimore’s postseason hopes, they remain faint. Sitting at 51-60 and in last place in the AL East, the Orioles would need a near-miraculous run to reach October baseball. That said, with the Yankees and Rays both struggling, anything remains possible.