Pete Crow-Armstrong was expected to bring Gold Glove defense in center field, speed, power and emotion to the Cubs. Being selective at the plate? Not really.

Well, until this season

Crow-Armstrong extended his on-base streak to 23 games with a two-out, fourth-inning, walk against the Blue Jays’ Patrick Corbin. The walk was Crow-Armstrong’s 28th of the season in his 77th game, one behind his career-high 29 from last year.

“He’s in swing mode. It’s kind of his thing,” manager Craig Counsell said. “Now it is a little bit like he’s learned he can be in swing mode and still not swing. That’s how he should be.”

The Cubs loaded the bases in the fourth but didn’t score. Regardless, it was still an example of what the Cubs want to see from Crow-Armstrong. The aggression is still there – as he proved on his sixth-inning home run on a pitch that was low – but Crow-Armstrong is showing he can moderate when necessary.

“The walks are a fun new thing that I’m kind of learning how to take,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I’m going to swing and I’ll take the walks whenever they come. Just taking pride on getting on first to hopefully set everybody else up, to drive people in.”

Amaya’s emergence

Catcher Miguel Amaya has a challenging job. Amaya is the Cubs’ second choice behind the plate but is still expected to produce when he’s in the lineup.

Amaya walked Saturday and has a .358 on-base percentage, lengthening the Cubs lineup on days Carson Kelly sits. Counsell is glad to see it for the team’s sake, but also Amaya’s after his 2025 was marred by oblique and ankle injuries that limited him to 28 games.

“When you’re playing irregularly, that’s a difficult spot to be productive offensively,” Counsell said. “Miguel’s done an excellent job producing offensively for us. The getting-on-base part, he’s been really good at that. It’s probably something that’s taken a step forward.”

Rea of light

Colin Rea retired the first 12 batters he faced until Brandon Valenzuela led off the fifth with a single. Two batters later, Rea threw over to first and Valenzuela was called safe, though replays showed he was tagged out before getting back to the base.

The Cubs didn’t challenge.

“I haven’t looked at it,” Counsell said. “I’m not sure [what happened].”

Other than that, it was a smooth day with Rea on the mound. He had his first scoreless start of the season and needed only 78 pitches to get 16 outs.

Rea also had no issues with Counsell removing him with one out in the sixth and bringing in left-hander Ryan Rolison. The first two Blue Jays had reached and after getting George Springer to fly out, Nathan Lukes was due up for Toronto.

Lukes entered hitting .342 against right-handers but .150 against lefties. Rolison got Lukes to hit into a double play on his first pitch and preserve the Cubs’ 3-0 lead.

“He has a feel, and he can kind of feel me out when it’s best to go with someone else,” Rea said. “After that, it didn’t work out [for the bullpen] but in the moment it was huge.”

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