Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds

CINCINNATI – Entering Sunday’s finale against the Reds, Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong had a frustrating weekend, going 0-for-10 with four strikeouts over the first two games of the series. But he made up for those difficult days by coming a triple shy of the cycle and helping Chicago pound the Reds, 9-1, at Great American Ball Park. The victory helped bring the Cubs an inch closer to the postseason, but they were unable to officially clinch a playoff berth after the D-backs topped the Yankees Sunday afternoon. Chicago owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Padres (5-1) and the Phillies (6-1), the two teams below them in the NL Wild Card race, giving them the upper hand to earn home-field advantage for the Wild Card Series starting Sept. 29. Crow-Armstrong went 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs. It all started in the first inning against Reds right-hander Rhett Lowder. Crow-Armstrong singled to right field and then stole second base, putting him two steals shy of the first 40-40 season in Cubs franchise history. He eventually scored on a single by Alex Bregman, who left the game in the fourth after getting hit in the face by a foul ball from teammate Michael Busch.  “At the end of the day, you hope your friend is OK,” Crow-Armstrong said about Bregman. “That’s the news that I’m hoping for.”