{
  "id": 3626445,
  "title": "Pete Crow-Armstrong Furious After Atrocious Blown Call Kills Rally",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/pete-crow-armstrong-furious-after-atrocious-blown-call-kills-rally",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-27T00:38:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Newsweek",
    "slug": "newsweek",
    "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/sports/mlb/pete-crow-armstrong-furious-after-atrocious-blown-call-kills-rally-12372907"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong vented his frustration after an umpiring crew failed to call a clear balk in the sixth inning of their 2-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday. The incident occurred as Crow-Armstrong, already at third base, broke for home on a leadoff double and a Suzuki groundout. With two outs and trailing a run, he took a large lead off third, prompting the Diamondbacks' pitcher to hurry his delivery and raise his back foot—a balk. However, the umpiring crew missed the call, which proved costly for the Cubs, as they didn't score any runs in that inning or the rest of the game.\n\nCrow-Armstrong, known for his exceptional play this season, expressed his anger, saying, \"Their one job is to get calls right and if they get it wrong they're supposed to talk about it, figure it out and get it right. And they didn't.\" The umpiring crew admitted their mistake postgame, with crew chief Alfonso Márquez stating, \"We just didn't see it. After looking at the video [postgame], it looked like he stepped off.\" Despite their loss, the Cubs remain atop the NL Wild Card Standings, six games back of the divisional lead. Crow-Armstrong's frustrations may have been heightened by his rough series in Arizona, where he went 1-for-12, with his lone hit being the aforementioned double. Despite his recent struggles, Crow-Armstrong has been an outstanding player, leading the league in wRC+ since mid-June and topping the National League in both home runs and stolen bases. His recent slump shouldn't be a cause for concern, as he has consistently impacted games both offensively and defensively.",
  "summary": "Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong let the umpiring crew hear it after they missed a balk call in their loss Wednesday.",
  "key_points": [
    "Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong furious over missed balk call",
    "Umpiring crew failed to call balk in sixth inning",
    "Mistake cost Cubs as they scored no runs in that inning"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The blown call by the umpiring crew may have cost the Cubs a crucial run and changed the complexion of their loss, highlighting ongoing concerns about inconsistent officiating.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}