The Chicago Cubs opened their series against the Washington Nationals with a convincing 8–3 win, but they couldn’t carry that momentum into Game 2. In a frustrating 2–0 loss on Tuesday night, manager Craig Counsell still found a silver lining in rookie center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

In a post-game interview, Counsell called Crow-Armstrong “a pitcher’s best friend” for the way he consistently changes the game with his defense and baserunning.

“He's a pitcher's best friend out there. He just grabs outs,” Counsell said. “A lot of times those balls to the wall, that’s an extra-base hit. He’s taking runs off the board for sure.”

Crow-Armstrong didn’t deliver at the plate on Wednesday night, but his defense stood out. In the fifth inning, he sprinted into left-center to make a tough running catch that robbed Alex Call of extra bases. The play kept the game scoreless and showed why Counsell values him so highly.

At the plate, he had two chances against Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore. In the first inning, with the bases loaded, he struck out swinging. Later, in the sixth, he flied out to center. Though he went hitless, his range in the outfield gave Cubs pitchers confidence.

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Matthew Boyd started strong on the mound in this game for the Cubs. He retired the first 15 batters of the night and held the Nationals scoreless into the sixth. But in the seventh, Amed Rosario broke the tie with a solo home run. In the eighth, Nasim Nuñez added an RBI double that gave Washington a 2–0 lead. Boyd finished with 7.1 innings pitched and two earned runs.

Chicago had its chances early. The Cubs loaded the bases in the first inning but failed to score. Gore settled in and struck out eight over seven shutout innings. Cubs hitters went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

Recently, Crow-Armstrong joined an elite group with at least 15 home runs and 20 stolen bases before turning 23, a list that includes Barry Bonds and Mike Trout. His all-around game is quickly becoming central to Chicago’s identity.

The loss stings, but with PCA in center, Cubs pitchers know they’ve got a game-changer behind them. As the Cubs look to bounce back in the series finale, all eyes will be on how this young core responds. With Crow-Armstrong leading the charge and the pitching staff gaining confidence, Chicago aims to turn the page fast and finish strong against the Nationals.