Cubs 8, Twins 1: Pete Crow-Armstrong smacks two more home runs

The Cubs bats came to life and Colin Rea threw a really nice game.

After a pair of games in Minneapolis where it seemed as if the Cubs left their bats back at the team hotel, they exploded for 14 hits and eight runs. Pete Crow-Armstrong led the way with his fifth multi-homer game of the year and the Cubs salvaged the final game at Target Field with an 8-1 trouncing of the Twins.

In the first inning, though, it appeared it was more of the same, as the Cubs failed to score despite a Seiya Suzuki single.

Colin Rea went through the Twins easily in the bottom of the inning and then the Cubs bats got to work. With one out, Dansby Swanson doubled and one out later, Nico Hoerner singled him in [VIDEO].

Rea had another easy second and the Cubs extended their lead in the third. Kyle Tucker hit a one-out double and after Suzuki popped up, PCA smashed his first homer of the game [VIDEO].

That ball was absolutely demolished! [VIDEO]

The Cubs made it 4-0 in the fourth. With one out, Carson Kelly doubled and went to third on a single by Hoerner.

Matt Shaw’s sacrifice fly scored Kelly [VIDEO].

Two more Cubs runs crossed the plate in the fifth. Suzuki singled with one out, his second of the game [VIDEO].

PCA followed with a walk, and Michael Busch’s single scored Kelly [VIDEO].

PCA took third on Busch’s hit and scored the Cubs’ sixth run on a single by Swanson [VIDEO].

(I’m not going to post the meme today, but I’d think at least the Swanson Complaint Department can be closed for this game.)

The Cubs scored Run No. 7 on PCA’s second homer of the game [VIDEO].

PCA fact from BCB’s JohnW53:

Pete Crow-Armstrong’s second homer tied Ron Santo’s total of 25 in his age-23 season, 1963.

PCA is one behind Kris Bryant’s franchise record of 26, in 2015.

Billy Williams hit 21, in 1961; Ernie Banks, 19, in 1954; and Vic Saier and Anthony Rizzo, 18, in 1914 and 2013, respectively.

While all this run-scoring was going on, Rea was throwing an outstanding game, the only blemish a fifth-inning homer by Kody Clemens. He got some help from two excellent defensive plays in the fifth.

First, Hoerner [VIDEO].

Then, Swanson [VIDEO].

Rea really has gone above and beyond this year. This was his longest outing of the year at seven innings, and very efficient at 92 pitches (62 strikes). He lowered his ERA to 3.91, which is just fine for a fifth starter. More from BCB’s JohnW53:

Colin Rea’s start was just the third this season in which a Cub pitched at least seven innings and gave up no more than one run and three hits. The others also threw exactly seven innings. Shota Imanaga gave up a run and three hits at Arizona on May 29 and Justin Steele gave up no runs and three hits at home against the Rangers on April 7. Steele’s was 80 games ago. Both walked two, as did Rea. Steele struck out eight; Rea, five; and Imanaga, four.

Here’s more on Rea’s outing [VIDEO].

Brad Keller threw a scoreless eighth despite two hits and then the Cubs plated one more run in the ninth. With one out, Suzuki singled and PCA doubled him to third and… that wasn’t really a double, it was a routine single to center but PCA hustled himself a double. And then there’s this:

Oh, yes, that final run. Suzuki scored it on a ground out by Busch [VIDEO].

Daniel Palencia, who hasn’t had a save situation in a while and who hadn’t thrown since Sunday, finished up a 1-2-3 ninth with this strikeout [VIDEO].

One more fact from John:

By winning, the Cubs still have not been swept in a series of three games or longer, in 31 series this year and 44 since they lost three straight at Cleveland on Aug. 12-14 of last year.

The Cubs had lost the first two games of only one previous three-game series this year, at St. Louis. They had lost two, then won, twice last season after being swept by the Guardians.

Since the start of 2015, the Cubs have lost the first two of 87 series. This was the 52nd in which they avoided a sweep.

With the win, the Cubs extended their lead over the idle Brewers in the NL Central back to two games. Here are some postgame comments from Craig Counsell:

And, a few remarks from PCA:

Things are not going to get any easier this weekend when the Cubs visit Yankee Stadium for a three-game series. At this writing neither team had posted a starting pitcher for Friday’s series opener. This would have been Jameson Taillon’s turn, so it’s likely another bullpen game, or perhaps some combination of Jordan Wicks and Chris Flexen, or perhaps others. “As always, we await developments.” For the Yankees, who face the Mariners tonight in New York riding a three-game winning streak, Friday’s game would be Carlos Rodón’s turn in their rotation.

Game time Friday is 6:05 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.