Chicago Cubs star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong had a day to remember at Busch Stadium on Saturday night. The same can not be said for a St. Louis Cardinals fan who got his hands on Crow-Armstrong’s home run ball late in the contest.
With the Cubs leading their rival Cardinals 3-1 in the top of the eighth inning, Crow-Armstrong stepped to the dish and was greeted with a barrage of overrated chants, particularly from the shirtless fans in right field in the viral ‘tarps-off’ section.
Fans, known as the Tarps Off Crew, cheer during a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium on May 21, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) (Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
Sitting on a 1-0 count, St. Louis pitcher Gordon Graceffo hung a fastball over the center of the plate. Crow-Armstrong put the barrel to the ball and launched his seventh home run of the season right into the center of the section of shirtless fans.
PCA understandably enjoyed himself rounding the bases, and amid the mixture of boos and cheers, the fan who snagged the home run ball attempted to throw it back onto the field.
Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning during the game between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Saturday, May 30, 2026 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Ali Overstreet/MLB Photos via Getty Images) (Ali Overstreet/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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The keyword in the previous sentence is “attempted.”
The fan not only failed at tossing the baseball back onto the field of play, but appeared to hit a fan sitting close to the wall with a not-so-athletic left-handed heater.
CARDINALS GO ALL IN ON SHIRTLESS FANS, DEDICATING AN ENTIRE SECTION OF STADIUM TO VIRAL ‘TARPS OFF’ MOB
We may not see a tougher scene from a fanbase this MLB season than what we witnessed at Busch Stadium on Saturday.
You have the villain of your biggest rival hit a 444-foot no-doubter amid overrated chants, and then someone in the beloved tarps-off section can’t even manage to toss the ball back onto the field.
Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs reacts in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field on April 20, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs /Getty Images) (Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs /Getty Images)
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While Crow-Armstrong’s homer in the eighth inning was the highlight of the night, he was dominant at the plate throughout the contest, going 4-for-5 with a double to go along with his long ball.
Saturday’s performance marked Crow-Armstrong’s first multi-hit game since May 8. The Cubs’ 6-1 win in St. Louis sets up a rubber match in the three-game series on Sunday evening.
