Speedy Pete Crow-Armstrong hit an inside-the-park homer — which culminated in a spectacular dive to the plate from several feet away — as the Chicago Cubs defeated the host Miami Marlins 6-3 on Friday night.
Chicago’s Isaac Paredes also had a key hit, smashing a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning.
The game’s most exciting play occurred when Crow-Armstrong led off the third inning with a line drive to right field.
Miami’s Jesus Sanchez couldn’t get to the ball until after it one-hopped the wall and skipped away. Crow-Armstrong was timed at 14.1 seconds around the bases — the fastest time in the majors this season.
Chicago’s Ian Happ and Miguel Amaya added conventional homers, two-run shots for each. Happ leads the Cubs with 23 long balls this season. Amaya, who has seven homers this year, finished the night 2-for-4, making him 5-for-9 with two home runs and seven RBIs over the past two games.
Marlins shortstop Xavier Edwards left after two innings due to lower back discomfort.
Neither starting pitcher earned a decision as both Miami’s Max Meyer (six innings) and Chicago’s Kyle Hendricks (4 2/3 frames) allowed three runs.
Chicago’s Porter Hodge (2-1) tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings, and Jorge Lopez fired a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save. Brett de Geus (0-2) took the loss.
Paredes gave Chicago a 4-3 lead with an RBI double in the eighth. The hit knocked in Seiya Suzuki, who started the rally with a single, went to second on an errant pickup throw and took third on a groundout.
Amaya’s homer in the ninth padded the lead.
Miami opened the scoring in the second inning as rookie Connor Norby stroked a leadoff double, moved to third on a fielder’s choice and scored on Derek Hill’s groundout.
Chicago took a 3-1 lead in the third. After Crow-Armstrong hit his inside-the-park dinger, Amaya singled, and Happ followed with his two-run shot.
It was the first time since 2001 that Chicago had inside-the-park and over-the-fence homers in the same inning.
Miami cut its deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the third as Vidal Brujan singled with one out, advanced on Sanchez’s walk and scored on Jonah Bride’s single.
The Marlins tied the score 3-3 in the fifth as rookie Kyle Stowers drew a two-out, bases-loaded, full-count walk, winning a seven-pitch battle against reliever Tyson Miller. Hill then lined a potential two- or three-run ball up the middle, but Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner jumped high to make a sensational catch.
–Field Level Media