CHICAGO — The closing sequence of Monday night’s TBS broadcast showed Pete Crow-Armstrong slamming his bat against a chair in American Family Field’s visiting dugout, and then flinging his helmet toward the clubhouse door. That moment of frustration encapsulated another season of Cubs baseball that appears to be fading to black.

Down 2-0 to the Brewers in the best-of-five National League Division Series, the Cubs will try to stave off elimination on Wednesday at Wrigley Field, hoping some different energy can begin to shift a lopsided rivalry.

Crow-Armstrong’s breakthrough year turned him into the most important figure in the entire Wrigleyville operation. An MVP-caliber first half elevated the Cubs into first place in the NL Central, which earned team president Jed Hoyer a contract extension and stabilized the front office. For months, Crow-Armstrong’s dynamic defense in center field helped prop up a pitching staff that now appears to be collapsing.

The business side of the organization finally got a marketable young star to fill the void created by the dismantling of the 2016 World Series team. Crow-Armstrong’s must-see at-bats coincided with the end of the organization’s cold war with Sammy Sosa, another slugger who once filled the ballpark with a sense of anticipation.

Marquee Sports Network, the team-owned station, helped fuel PCA-mania. Crow-Armstrong understood his responsibilities as a new face of the franchise, making a point to connect with fans and acknowledge “my bleacher creatures.”

“We’re always looking forward to playing more baseball at Wrigley,” Crow-Armstrong said. “That’s why you got to win three.”

When the Cubs beat the Padres in the best-of-three Wild Card Series, Crow-Armstrong made it a point to acknowledge the Wrigley Field fans. (AP / Erin Hooley)

The Brewers only need to win one to advance to the NL Championship Series, which would be another achievement to go along with their fourth division title in the last five years. Even in a muddled playoff field, the Cubs do not look like a serious World Series contender. And at 23 years old, Crow-Armstrong still isn’t a finished product.

The education of Crow-Armstrong has involved an ongoing, season-long conversation with Justin Turner, the 40-year-old bench player who has competed in 87 career postseason games, earning a World Series ring and a Roberto Clemente Award with the Los Angeles Dodgers. While Cubs manager Craig Counsell raves about Turner’s influence on the entire clubhouse, it is Crow-Armstrong who frequently mentions “JT” when answering questions at his locker.

“When you’re a five-tool player, it’s not just about hitting,” Turner said. “It’s not just about hitting big home runs. He does it on the bases. He does it in the outfield. It’s just constantly reminding him that you don’t have to go 10-for-10 with 10 homers to help us win ballgames.”

Crow-Armstrong, who grew up in Southern California watching Turner play at Dodger Stadium, met him last November, long before the Cubs presented themselves as a serious option to the free agent. Turner had invited Crow-Armstrong to play in a golf outing for his charitable foundation.

Two players from different generations made an easy connection that would deepen once the Cubs missed on Alex Bregman in spring training and pivoted toward Turner, who has a reputation for being a sort of hitting guru.

“He’s one of those guys that has so many thoughts and questions and feels that he’s going through at the plate,” Turner said. “Between me and coach (John) Mallee, we just try to be the best sounding board for him and make sure he keeps moving in the right direction.

“There’s so much talent, and so much ability there, that as long as he’s in a good place, he’s going to impact the game for us, one way or another.”

As the Cubs try to keep a narrow focus on just winning one game, they have to think that Crow-Armstrong, at any given moment, could suddenly become the best player on the field.

In Counsell’s pragmatic mind, making a great defensive play can be just as good as hitting a home run. Depending on the game situation and conditions at Wrigley Field, the Cubs may also need Crow-Armstrong’s speed.



The Cubs went through Tuesday’s workout at Wrigley Field focusing on the next game, not next year. But Counsell readily acknowledged the long-term benefits to Crow-Armstrong in facing this level of competition and performing on a bigger stage.

Ten years ago, the Cubs assembled a young group of players who made a surprisingly deep postseason run. That nucleus returned the next year, better prepared for the blinding spotlight at the 2016 World Series.

“We all consider Pete a pretty emotional player,” Counsell said. “October ramps that up even more. Those are great lessons for a player to learn — what it does to you. You learn about how it helps you. And I think Pete’s still learning how emotion really helps him. And: ‘How does it hurt me sometimes?’

“Moments where it heightens are an even better teacher. Everybody goes through that, too. Pete’s not unique to that. They’re great learning experiences.”

Crow-Armstrong certainly isn’t the only Chicago hitter struggling to find his rhythm and timing against Milwaukee’s hard-throwing pitchers and strong game-planning system.

After fading in the second half, Kyle Tucker hasn’t had an extra-base hit during this postseason. Ian Happ, through 19 postseason at-bats, has nine strikeouts and zero walks. Matt Shaw is carrying a .000 batting average through the playoffs. Crow-Armstrong is 4-for-18 with 10 strikeouts and zero walks, and three of those hits came last week against the San Diego Padres during the clinching game of their Wild Card Series.

Like the rest of his teammates, all he can do is focus on the next pitch.

“Hitting 100 (mph velocity) is always going to be hard,” Crow-Armstrong said. “Putting up runs in big-league games is hard. This sport that we play is hard. That’s not a surprise that they’re going out there throwing their best arms. All of those guys seem to be locked in.

“It’s just our job to execute. I know I haven’t done that. It’s a pretty simple idea here: We got to put more balls in play, and we’ll probably score more runs.”