Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong Fumes Over Balk Call in Loss to Diamondbacks

Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong found himself at the center of a heated moment during a match against the Arizona Diamondbacks. In the sixth inning, with the game tied at 0-0, he took an aggressive lead off third base, appearing ready to steal home. Arizona’s pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez responded with a quick pitch while Michael Busch was at bat. Crow-Armstrong believed Rodriguez had balked, which would have allowed him to score and given the Cubs the lead.

Feeling the call was missed, Crow-Armstrong voiced his frustration to the umpiring crew. Despite his protest, the umpires huddled and ruled no balk had occurred. Chicago’s third base coach, Quintin Berry, had to hold back Crow-Armstrong as he argued. Cubs manager Craig Counsell also stepped in to manage the situation.

“I saw four umpires miss a pretty obvious play,” Crow-Armstrong said postgame. “They are out there every day, just like we are. Their one job is to get calls right, and if they get it wrong, they’re supposed to talk about it, figure it out, and get it right. And they didn’t.”

After the Cubs’ 2-0 loss, umpire crew chief Alfonso Márquez acknowledged the oversight, admitting, “We just didn’t see it.” Upon video review, Márquez stated the pitch did indeed look like a balk.

Though tensions ran high, no ejections occurred during the back-and-forth. The game saw the Diamondbacks score in the bottom of the sixth, and add another in the eighth, ultimately securing the victory. Crow-Armstrong managed to secure one of the Cubs’ two hits during their defeat in Arizona.

The Cubs, having lost four of their last six games, now find their lead in the National League Wild Card standings reduced to just two games over the Philadelphia Phillies, who have won eight of their last ten games.