Chicago Cubs superstar Pete Crow-Armstrong had to be restrained by the team's third base coach while losing his temper after he believed an obvious balk went unnoticed, and it turns out he had a legitimate leg to stand on.
In the top of the sixth inning, with his team battling in a scoreless contest against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Crow-Armstrong took a large lead from third base as if he were about to attempt a steal of home.
Arizona starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez reacted by throwing a quick pitch with Michael Busch at the plate. PCA was adamant that Rodriguez had balked, which would have given him a free pass to home and given Chicago the lead. Crow-Armstrong immediately started shouting, then became irate after the umpires huddled and determined there was no balk.
Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 and third base coach Quintin Berry #0 of the Chicago Cubs react at second base umpire Lance Barrett #16 during the sixth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on August 26, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Chicago's third base coach, Quintin Berry, held back Crow-Armstrong while he shouted and questioned the umpires before Cubs manager Craig Counsell had to intervene as well.
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"I saw four umpires miss a pretty obvious play," Crow-Armstrong said after his team's 2-0 loss. "They're out there every day, just like we are. Their one job is to get calls right, and if they get it wrong, they're supposed to talk about it, figure it out, and get it right. And they didn't."
Crew chief Alfonso Márquez, who was behind home plate during Wednesday's game, admitted after the contest that a balk should have been called.
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Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs warms up on deck during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on August 25, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Cubs 5-4. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
"We just didn’t see it," Márquez told MLB.com, adding that any of the four umpires could have called the balk. "After looking at the video, it looked like he stepped off."
Nobody was ejected from Wednesday's contest despite the intense back-and-forth between the crew and Crow-Armstrong.
Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run the eighth inning during the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Sunday, August 23, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Eric Hiller/MLB Photos via Getty Images) (Eric Hiller/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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The Diamondbacks ultimately broke the scoreless game in the bottom of the sixth inning, tacking on one run, before doubling the lead in the eighth frame. Crow-Armstrong was responsible for one of his team's two hits during Chicago's loss in Arizona.
After dropping four of its last six games, Chicago's once comfortable lead atop the National League Wild Card standings has turned into just a two-game cushion over the Philadelphia Phillies, who have won eight of their last 10 games.
