Pete Crow-Armstrong’s ninth-inning home run lifts Cubs to victory over Angels
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Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a tiebreaking homer in the ninth inning and Kyle Tucker went deep for the first time in more than a month as the Chicago Cubs beat the Angels 3-2 on Friday night to open a nine-game trip.
Crow-Armstrong connected for a solo shot off Kenley Jansen (5-4) with one out, his 28th home run this season and first in his last 25 games. He was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts when he stepped to the plate in the ninth, but he got a 92-mph cutter over the heart of the plate from Jansen and sent it 396 feet into the right-field stands.
Tucker also ended a 25-game drought with a solo drive off Tyler Anderson in the first — his first longball since July 19.
The Angels reinstated reliever Robert Stephenson from the 60-day injured list on Friday. He had been out since May 31 because of right biceps inflammation.
Yoán Moncada homered twice for the Angels, including a tying shot in the seventh. It was his first multihomer game with the Angels (61-67).
Javier Assad surrendered one run in six innings for the Cubs (74-55) after being recalled from triple-A Iowa before the game. He took a no-hitter into the fifth before Moncada homered.
Brad Keller (4-1) pitched a perfect eighth and Daniel Palencia struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth for his 19th save.
Anderson permitted two runs and three hits in five innings with five strikeouts and two walks. He’s gone 21 straight starts without a win.
Key stat: Tucker’s 25-game home-run drought was his longest since his rookie season in 2018.
Up next: Angels RHP Victor Mederos (0-1, 5.54 ERA) faces Cubs RHP Cade Horton (7-4, 3.08) on Saturday in a matchup of rookie starters.
