Power Surge Travels: Cubs Outslug Orioles 9-7 Behind PCA's Two-Homer Night
The Cubs brought the thunder back on the road. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit two of Chicago's five home runs, Seiya Suzuki delivered the swing that became the difference, and Jacob Webb shut down Baltimore's late push to preserve a 9-7 win.
Final
CHC 9 · BAL 7
Cubs survive late rally
Cubs HR
5
PCA, Conforto, Kelly, Suzuki
PCA
2 HR
First MLB 20/20 player this season
Save
Webb
Perfect ninth
The Core StoryThe Cubs won a slugfest that almost got uncomfortable. Chicago trailed 3-1 after Pete Alonso's fourth-inning homer, answered with three solo shots in the fifth, then created the game-separating inning in the seventh. Baltimore rallied late, but Jacob Webb finished the job.
1. PCA owned the nightPete Crow-Armstrong homered in the third and fifth, scored three times, and became baseball's first 20-homer, 20-steal player of the season.
2. The fifth inning flipped itMichael Conforto, Carson Kelly, and Crow-Armstrong all homered off Dean Kremer in a four-batter span to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead.
3. Seiya's blast matteredSuzuki's three-run homer looked like extra cushion at 9-3, but Baltimore's comeback made those runs the actual difference.
💣 Cubs Home Run Tracker
Pete Crow-Armstrong3rd inning · Solo HR · 370 ft · Right
Michael Conforto5th inning · Solo HR · 368 ft · Right
Carson Kelly5th inning · Solo HR · 404 ft · Left
Pete Crow-Armstrong5th inning · Solo HR · 419 ft · Right-center
Seiya Suzuki7th inning · 3-run HR · 401 ft · Left
Power Meter
Five Cubs home runs built enough cushion to survive Baltimore's late charge.
Score Pressure Timeline
A 9-3 lead became 9-7 before Webb closed the door.
⏱ Visual Timeline Of Key Plays
Top 3rd
Pete Crow-Armstrong opens the scoring with a solo homer to right.
Bottom 4th
Pete Alonso hits a two-run homer, putting Baltimore ahead 3-1.
Top 5th
Conforto and Kelly go deep on the first two pitches of the inning, then PCA adds his second homer to give the Cubs a 4-3 lead.
Top 7th
Bregman's sacrifice fly, a wild pitch, and Suzuki's three-run homer produce a five-run inning and a 9-3 cushion.
Bottom 7th
Tyler O'Neill homers and Taylor Ward singles, trimming the Cubs lead to 9-5.
Bottom 8th
Coby Mayo and O'Neill both homer, cutting the lead to 9-7 and putting pressure back on Chicago.
Bottom 9th
Jacob Webb throws a perfect ninth for his fourth save, locking down the series-clinching win.
🎯 Pitching Breakdown
Colin Rea did enough to earn the win, but the bullpen made the finish tense. Baltimore scored four times across the seventh and eighth before Webb restored order.
Pitcher
IP
H
ER
BB
K
Assessment
Colin Rea
5.1
7
3
2
2
Kept the Cubs close long enough for the power surge to take over
Drew Pomeranz
1.1
3
2
0
0
Allowed traffic as Baltimore began its late charge
Trent Thornton
0.1
1
0
0
0
Short bridge appearance
Caleb Thielbar
1.0
3
2
0
2
Gave up two eighth-inning homers but escaped with the lead
Jacob Webb
1.0
0
0
0
0
Perfect ninth for the save
🐻 Offensive Snapshot
This was the kind of night where raw power covered up some bullpen stress. Chicago managed only eight hits, but five left the yard and produced the separation needed.
Player
Line / Moment
Impact
Pete Crow-Armstrong
2-for-4, 3 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI
Set the tone and reached 20/20 status
Seiya Suzuki
1-for-4, 3-run HR
Delivered the game-deciding blow
Michael Conforto
Solo HR
Started the fifth-inning answer
Carson Kelly
Solo HR, 2 R
Back-to-back with Conforto and started seventh-inning rally
Alex Bregman
Sacrifice fly RBI
Opened scoring in the five-run seventh
Friendly Confines Takeaway
The Cubs did not win this cleanly, but they won it loudly. Five homers gave them enough cushion, even as Baltimore's late-game power made the final innings uncomfortable.
The difference was simple: Chicago's biggest swing came before Baltimore's comeback. Suzuki's three-run shot looked like insurance. By the final out, it was the margin.
PCA made history. Seiya supplied the difference. Webb finished the job.
The Cubs are back to winning series with power.
May the power travel city to city. May PCA keep turning promise into production. May Seiya's swing keep finding the seats when the game asks for one more blow. And may the Friendly Confines celebrate every road win that carries Wrigley thunder with it.
Sources used for game facts: ESPN/AP recap and box score, MLB.com highlight recap, FOX Sports game tracker, Newsday/AP recap, The Athletic box score snippet, and Cubs Insider recap for Cubs 9, Orioles 7 on July 8, 2026.