Crow-Armstrong, Ohtani each hit 2 HRs; Cubs OF now MVP favorite

CHICAGO -- The National League MVP race heated up Wednesday.

Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong andDodgers star Shohei Ohtani each hit two home runs in a wild 7-6win for Chicago that gave it a three-game sweep of the two-time defending World Series champions.

Crow-Armstrong, who also had a double and four RBIs, acknowledged afterward the MVP talk is kind of fun.

"I would be crazy to say that I don't want to win an MVP, but if we're talking about having priorities straight, I think mine are pretty straight," he said. "It's not on the forefront of my mind. It's fun to joke about it, and it's fun to acknowledge. And I think it's absolutely OK to pay attention to, but it's not like following me up to the plate.

"I think if you guys want to talk about all this back and forth, I really should go get in the lab and start pitching. I really should."

He might not have to because Ohtani isn't pitching either right now. That was his advantage over Crow-Armstrong, who is now the favorite to win NL MVP (-120) after starting Wednesday behind Ohtani in the race, according to DraftKings odds.

Ohtani kept up his end of the bargain Wednesday, also collecting three hits and driving in three of the Dodgers' six runs.

"He's [PCA] a great player, but I'm really focused on myself right now," Ohtani said through the team interpreter. "On the hitting side of things and working toward getting back on the mound and working on that side of the game."

Ohtani hasn't pitched since early July because of left knee soreness but said he is confident he'll return at some point this season while acknowledging "it's hard to tell what the schedule will look like." His current role as a DH only has opened the door for Crow-Armstrong to win his first MVP. He is the majors' top-rated fielder at any position (based on outs above average) while posting a .938 OPS. His three hits Wednesday came off Eric Lauer, increasing his OPS against left-handers to .937 this year after it was .594 in 2025.

"I think it's fun watching Pete have this season," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. "How that [MVP award] all happens, who knows. It's a season you remember. You remember seasons like this. You cherish seasons like this. That's the best part."

Crow-Armstrong and Ohtani each hit home runs to lead off Wednesday's game, marking the second time in Wrigley Field history (since 1913) that both teams hit a leadoff homer. Crow-Armstrong's second blast in the fourth inning gave him 25 on the year and made him the first player in Cubs history to produce consecutive seasons of 25 home runs and 25 steals. He also now has the second-most home runs (67) in franchise history for a player before age 25, trailing only Hall of Famer Ron Santo.

Crow-Armstrong waved off all that MVP talk long enough to appreciate the Cubs' sweep of the reigning champions.

"I would feel much more accomplished taking them down at some point," Crow-Armstrong said. "I want to see this group in October because I think it'll be a dangerous group in the playoffs."

Ohtani's second home run Wednesday came during a furious eighth-inning comeback that saw the Dodgers score five times before going down in order in the ninth as they lost their sixth straight game. The Dodgers hope that late offense can be a springboard as they head to Arizona for a weekend series against the second-place Diamondbacks.

Like Crow-Armstrong, Ohtani was asked if he's thinking about the MVP race. He has won the past two in the NL since signing with the Dodgers before the 2024 season and also won the AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 while with the Angels.

"Not really," Ohtani said. "It's still too far away to think about that. For me, it's more important for the team to win."

Thirty voters -- two from each NL city -- will determine the MVP winner at the end of the regular season. The odds are as tight as ever, and Wednesday, Crow-Armstrong became the favorite.

"I just think simply put, just having your name in the same conversation as someone as profound as he [is], it's awesome and it's a nice nod," Crow-Armstrong said.br/]