Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong calls out-of-zone home run 'cool' - ESPN

CHICAGO — Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong thought it was «cool» to hit the farthest pitch outside the strike zone for a home run in the majors this season.

The high fastball, from Pittsburgh Pirates starter Andrew Heaney in the fourth inning Thursday night, measured 8.1 inches above the edge of the strike zone, according to ESPN Research.

Crow-Armstrong crushed it to right field to break a scoreless tie.

«I'm just committing to being on time for it,» he said after the Cubs' 3-2 win. «He has a good heater in a low slot. It presents itself with a lot of carry. I'm already thinking on top. Good to execute on a pitch like that.»

The two-run blast was Crow-Armstrong's 18th of the season, all coming over the past two calendar months. He has been a bad-ball master this season, hitting pitches above and below the strike zone for home runs.

«What you've seen in 30 years of baseball says it's hard to hit balls for home runs,» Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. «He's proving me wrong.»

In addition to hitting the high fastball off Heaney, Crow-Armstrong also has two of the five home runs hit in the majors this season on pitches at least 3 inches below the zone, including one that was 5.8 inches below in early May.

«Sometimes, he hits them off the ground and sometimes he hits them over his head,» Cubs reliever Ryan Pressly said. «I don't even know how to pitch Pete, to be honest with you.»

Crow-Armstrong is making a strong All-Star case in his second full season in the big leagues. In addition to the 18 home runs, he has 21 stolen bases while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense for the first-place Cubs. That two-way combination has vaulted him to the top of the National League in fWAR.

But those home runs are what have been