KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pete Crow-Armstrong, who came into the game hitting .183, was 3 for 4 with a run and the go-ahead RBI as the Chicago Cubs defeated the Kansas City Royals 7-3 on Sunday.
While he was happy to contribute to the victory, Crow-Armstrong and many of his teammates were down about losing teammate Christopher Morel, who was traded during the game to the Tampa Bay Rays for Isaac Paredes.
“He's a special human,” Crow-Armstrong said of Morel. “We're going to miss his energy for sure, his smile. Reaching his full Christopher Morel potential every day is a guy showing up every day in the clubhouse.”
Crow-Armstrong got two of his three hits and his RBI off Royals starter Cole Ragans.
“I saw him pretty good,” he said. “I tend to see lefties relatively okay. He's a really good pitcher. I'm glad he doesn't use his change-up against lefties, because that's a good pitch. The Cubbies just had a really good offensive day.
"We want to try to have days like this every day to help have a winning season.”
The Cubs (51-56) are 12-8 in their last 20 games after going 3-9 in their previous 12.
Javier Assad (5-3) allowed three runs on five hits in six innings.
“It was an impressive outing,” Chicago manager Craig Counsell said of Assad's day. "I don't think Javi started out really well, (but) I think (catcher) Christian (Bethancourt) did a really good job of (sticking) with him, and I thought Javi did a good job of maybe doing things different than he's done in the past.
“We saw some more off-speed stuff today, and he got his off-speed stuff going, which was really fun to watch.”
Assad said he was just trying to go as far into the game as possible.
“I just tried to go out there and execute,” he said through an interpreter. “I started a little shaky, but I just went out there and attacked the zone.”
Ragans (7-7) took the loss, allowing four runs in 5 2/3 innings.
“He gave us a good chance,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of his starter. “We were into the sixth inning and he gives us a chance. They put some good swings on him.”
Michael Massey led off the first with a walk before Bobby Witt Jr. extended his hitting streak to 10 games with an infield single. With two outs, Hunter Renfroe lined one to center, scoring both runners.
Nico Hoerner doubled in the third to tie it at 2-all.
The Royals (57-49) retook the lead in the fourth on a controversial home run. Freddy Fermin launched a long flyball down the left-field line that appeared headed to the foul pole. A fan wearing a Cubs hat reached over the railing from foul territory and caught the ball before left fielder Ian Happ had a chance. Fan interference was called, giving Fermin his fifth homer of the season.
The Cubs took their first lead in the sixth. Michael Busch hit a one-out double and then scored on David Bote's two-out double. Bote scored on Crow-Armstrong's single, ending Ragans' day.
“We got good production from the bottom of our lineup today,” Counsell said. “Bethancourt and Pete did some really good things today.”
Chicago added three insurance runs in the ninth, including Patrick Wisdom's second homer in as many days.
TRAINING ROOM
Royals OF MJ Melendez returned from his rehab assignment and was reinstated from the 10-day injured list. He had been on the IL since July 15 with a sprained left ankle. In a corresponding move, the Royals optioned OF Drew Waters to Triple-A Omaha following Saturday night's game. ... Royals RHP John Schreiber left the game with right knee patella discomfort. ... RHP Hunter Harvey left with left lower back spasms.
UP NEXT
Cubs: Chicago continues a six-game road trip with the first of three games in Cincinnati. The Cubs will RHP Jameson Taillon (7-5, 2.96 ERA) to the mound to face Reds RHP Carson Spiers (3-2, 3.83 ERA).
Royals: Kansas City travels to Chicago for the first game in a three-game series with the White Sox. RHP Alec Marsh (7-7, 4.75) will face RHP Chris Flexen (2-10, 5.25) of the White Sox.