Pete Crow-Armstrong leads Cubs into home series with Reds

Pete Crow-Armstrong continues to find ways to help the Chicago Cubs, who will try for their fifth straight victory when they open a three-game series against the visiting Cincinnati Reds on Friday afternoon.

Crow-Armstrong blasted his 15th home run of the season in a 2-1 win against the visiting Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, one day after the 23-year-old center fielder stole his 15th and 16th bases in a 4-3 victory in 11 innings.

He reached 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases in just 56 games, tied for the fifth-fastest to reach those marks in Major League Baseball since 1900.

"Baseball's got a lot of funny stats," Crow-Armstrong said. "It's too early in the year for me to look at a stat like that and be really taken back, I guess."

The solo home run that Crow-Armstrong hit in the fourth inning on Wednesday gave Chicago a 2-0 lead. The pitch was a few inches below the strike zone, but he still managed to lift it over the fence in right.

"It's unique, the damage he can do below the strike zone, but that's the point, it's damage," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. "When he gets a ball that's just below the strike zone, it's a little bit of his go-zone. It's his hot zone. That's really unique."

Crow-Armstrong went 5-for-13 against the Reds last weekend in Cincinnati and drove in nine runs, helping Chicago take two of three.

The Cubs combined to score 28 runs in those games before cooling off and only putting up nine against the struggling Rockies, yet Chicago still came away with a sweep.

Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott and Cubs right-hander Colin Rea went head-to-head last Saturday in a 6-4 win by Cincinnati and they'll face off again in the series opener on Friday.

Abbott allowed one run and six hits in 5 2/3 innings in the win against the Cubs last weekend.

Rea, meanwhile, was tagged for six runs and seven hits in five innings.

The outing was the continuation of a superb month for Abbott (4-0, 1.77 ERA), who likely will be in the running for NL Pitcher of the Month if he can have another solid effort against the Cubs.

Abbott is 2-0 in five starts in May with a 0.70 ERA. He hasn't allowed more than one run in any of those starts.

Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson has proved he can see the ball well against Abbott, however, producing two doubles, a home run and four walks in 11 appearances against Abbott.

Abbott is 1-0 overall in two career starts against the Cubs with a 3.10 ERA.

Rea (3-1, 3.28) is 5-1 in nine career appearances against the Reds, including eight starts, but has a lofty 5.88 ERA in those games.

Reds designated hitter Austin Hays left the game on Wednesday after fouling a pitch off his left foot.

"We got him X-rayed, and it's inconclusive," Reds manager Terry Francona said. "So we're going to get him scanned (Thursday morning). You could tell he was hurting."

Hays is hitting .303 with six home runs and 25 RBIs in 31 games.

--Field Level Media