Pete Crow-Armstrong answers Sammy Sosas challenge with three-homer game in Cubs win

Pete Crow-Armstrong turned two pregame conversations with Sammy Sosa into one of the best days of his career.Crow-Armstrong homered three times and drove in six runs on Saturday, adding to his case for NL MVP and powering the Chicago Cubs to a runaway 17-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.The All-Star center fielder had four hits and scored four times, delighting the crowd of 39,597 at Wrigley Field.“I think Pete’s having a wonderful season,” manager Craig Counsell said.

“It’s a lot of fun to watch.… We’re lucky to be a part of it.”Crow-Armstrong, 24, saw Sosa in the lobby as he made his way into the ballpark, and the two talked again in the batting cage.

Sosa, 57, was part of a pregame ceremony celebrating Chicago’s 150 years as a National League franchise.Crow-Armstrong said Sosa told him he wanted to see even more out of him, and then told him he wanted him to hit three homers during the game.“He was like, ‘I want three out of you today.… I need three,’” Crow-Armstrong said.

“And sure enough, I don’t know what he passed down to me there.”Crow-Armstrong continued his bid to unseat Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani as NL MVP after the Japanese slugger took home the honor each of the previous two years.Ohtani hasn’t been able to pitch since July 3 because of left knee soreness and a right biceps injury.While Ohtani has been limited to designated hitter with Los Angeles, Crow-Armstrong is one of baseball’s top defensive players.

And he has turned into a consistent threat at the plate as well, batting .282 with 36 homers, 89 RBIs and 32 steals in 136 games.“Sometimes you feel it in your bones that you got a day like today in you and I did today,” Crow-Armstrong said.Crow-Armstrong hit a 435-foot drive to right-center in the first for his eighth career leadoff homer — all this season.He went deep again in the second, sending a two-run shot off the foul pole in right.It was Crow-Armstrong’s fifth multihomer game th...