Chicago Cubs and Stars Shine at Wrigley Field

As local rock band Hippo Campus finished their rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field on Thursday, the speakers played a familiar tune: “Bear Down, Chicago Bears.” Shortly after, the video board featured Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, Bulls forwards Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis, and Cole Bennett, founder of Lyrical Lemonade. The group sat in the first row behind the home dugout, wearing Cubs jerseys. Williams donned a Pete Crow-Armstrong jersey, leading the crowd in a “PCA, PCA” chant for the Cubs center fielder.

“Awesome having them here,” said Crow-Armstrong, recently named NL Player of the Month. “I felt the crowd’s energy when they appeared on the board. Chicago has much to look forward to with those three.”

Crow-Armstrong is giving the city plenty to cheer about too. The 24-year-old fortified his NL Most Valuable Player case with a decisive two-run home run — his 39th of the season.

The Cubs celebrated a significant win with a 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. Crow-Armstrong’s 39th home run helped secure the win, dividing the series with the Brewers. “That was cool that they were down there,” said Cubs manager Craig Counsell. “I know Pete’s got a relationship with some of those guys, so that was very cool.”

The Cubs now head to Miami for a weekend series against the Marlins and will face the Brewers again on Monday in Milwaukee. They trail the first-place Brewers by eight games, with 21 games remaining, but they are within half a game of the Philadelphia Phillies for the National League wild-card spot.

Kevin Gausman had a standout performance, pitching seven innings, allowing one run, and striking out nine. “That’s kind of all you want from someone we pick up at the deadline,” Crow-Armstrong noted, praising Gausman’s collaboration with catcher Carson Kelly. Gausman worked efficiently with his fastball-splitter combo, delivering 103 pitches. “When I can do that and throw strikes consistently, I’m pretty hard to beat,” said Gausman.

The Cubs needed this win, especially after their previous tough games. Left-hander Matthew Boyd and pitcher David Peterson struggled in earlier matches against the Brewers, leading to losses. However, Gausman’s strong outing reduced reliance on the bullpen. From there, relievers Ryan Zeferjahn and Ryan Rolison each pitched a perfect inning. “Look, we need some good outings from our bullpen,” Counsell said. “You need some good things to happen to you to feel good about the next time you do it, and they were both excellent today.”

Unfortunately, right-hander Ben Brown will miss the rest of the season due to a neck injury. He pitched recently in Arizona but experienced symptoms post-outing. Brown will rest to ensure recovery for 2027. “Of course it’s an injury that’s happened multiple times, I think it’s a concern,” Counsell commented. Despite this setback, the team is focused on starting next spring with a healthy lineup.

Other Cubs players, including Edward Cabrera and Shelby Miller, are expected to pitch in upcoming games, aiming for crucial contributions. Despite these challenges, Crow-Armstrong’s performances continue to capture attention. His friendships with other Chicago athletes highlight mutual support. “I’m lucky to have that,” Crow-Armstrong reflected. “To show the city that we’re all pulling for each other and we all believe in each other is huge.”

Andy Martinez is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.