Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong becomes 1st in 16 years with leadoff, walk-off HRs

Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow Armstrong hit .281 with 30 home runs and 31 stolen bases through his first 126 appearances this season. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Chicago Cub slugger Pete Crow-Armstrong became the first MLB player since 2010 with leadoff and walk-off home runs in the same game in a 7-5 triumph over the Chicago White Sox. The All-Star logged the epic extra-innings effort Monday in Chicago. With the two-homer showcase, he also became the first Cubs player to record consecutive seasons with at least 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases. "That was fun," Crow-Armstrong told reporters. "That was my first career walk-off homer. That's fun to note. ... I feel like I've probably said this before after we've had some crazier wins, but it's just super fun after something like that to appreciate all the little stuff that went right." Crow-Armstrong, who went 4 for 5 with three RBIs, two runs scored, a walk and a strikeout, gave the Cubs their initial lead when he smashed Luis Castillo's first pitch of the night to right field for a 376-foot solo shot in the bottom of the first inning. Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki smacked a 440-foot solo homer in the next at-bat to double the advantage, but the White Sox answered with their own blast in the fourth. Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow Armstrong leads MLB with a 7.7 WAR. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI The shot came courtesy of Randal Grichuk. The White Sox designated hitter stepped up as the third batter of the inning against Cubs starter Shota Imanaga. He fell behind 1-2 in the count, but sent Imanaga's fourth offering -- an 83.5-mph splitter -- to center field for a 404-foot, three-run bomb. Shortstop Nico Hoerner gave the lead back to the Cubs with a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth. White Sox pinch hitter Andrew Benintendi responded with a 378-foot, three-run shot in the eighth to wrestle back a 5-4 edge. Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong recorded four hits and a walk in a walk-off win over the Chicago White Sox on Monday in Chicago. FIle Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI But the White Sox didn't score again. Hoerner plated pinch runner Tyrone Taylor with an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings. Cubs relief pitcher Jacob Webb forced the White Sox to strand two runners in the top of the 10th. All-Star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) and the Chicago Cubs are 20 games above .500, but remain in second place in the National League Central. File Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI Crow-Armstrong settled in against White Sox relief pitcher Hagan Smith to lead off the bottom of the final frame. He proceeded to end the game with a 391-foot, two-run shot to right field. "I was really just trying to go out there and play offense, not worry about punching, not worrying about swinging and missing...I was gonna go out there and put good swings on the baseball no matter what," Crow-Armstrong said. Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (L) was an All-Star selection each of the last two seasons. File Photo by Mike Zarrilli/UPI The Cubs (73-53), who entered the Monday with losses in three of their last four games, are 20 games above .500. They remain in second place in the National League Central, 4.5 games behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers (77-48). The White Sox (65-59) remain in first place in the American League Central, 4.5 games in front of the second-place Detroit Tigers (61-64). The Cubs will host the White Sox in the second game of the rivalry series at 8:05 p.m. EDT Tuesday at Wrigley Field.