NL DIVISION SERIES: CUBS VS BREWERS

October 8, 2025

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Michael Busch

Wrigley Field

Chicago Cubs

Postgame 3 Press Conference

Cubs 4, Brewers 3

Q. We all know how much you want to come through in big moments; can you take us through that first inning at-bat? It was a huge one with two outs. Talk about taking advantage of that moment.

PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: Yeah, that's the goal every time is just to take advantage of moments where guys do it in front of you. I think Michael hitting the homer, I think that just adds so much comfort for the rest of the inning because it's 0-0 again.

But I'm pretty fortunate in a couple of these elimination games to just have pretty nice opportunities in front of me with guys on base, and I think that makes this job just a little bit easier sometimes.

Q. Michael, just the way the pop-up lost in the sun, to be able to come back the way you did, if you'd just take us through the emotions of that inning.

MICHAEL BUSCH: Yeah, obviously lost it, and then to be able to let up a run there was kind of upsetting, but at the same time, had to flush it.

J-Mo kind of did a really good job at only letting one run up, but then just tried to reset. It's a long game and there's a lot of outs, and just tried to remind myself just to have a good at-bat.

I think that along with energy in the dugout really helped. I thought that first inning just 1 through 9 we had some phenomenal at-bats. Put a lot of pressure on them. Obviously it was big for us that inning.

Q. What you've been able to do in the lead-off spot, especially when it comes to the home runs, how would you describe your approach, especially now with kind of having a reputation of being able to go deep in the first at-bat? And Pete, what has it been like watching what he has done in the lead-off spot?

MICHAEL BUSCH: Yeah, it doesn't always go that way, but just try to have a good at-bat. From the moment I was placed in that spot, they put me there, and I thought, why change what I do, and just having a good at-bat, staying aggressive, trusting my eyes.

From there, it's just kind of one of those things where I just try to have my at-bat. Sometimes it goes well; sometimes it doesn't.

I was happy to kind of get it going, and that first inning was fun and it was good for us.

PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: Yeah, he's gotten it going for us this whole second half. It's really cool to be in the dugout when people are hot and are on tears. I just think the lead-off spot is so cool because as the games kind of progress you've seeing guys like Schwarber and George Springer when he was leading off all the time and kind of doing what Buschy is doing. I just think that's so exciting.

To be able to set a tone like that or to be able to, like I said, make that ballgame 0-0, I think that's so huge. I mean, the confidence we have in sending Buschy up there any at-bat, it's obviously very high, but the confidence that I have when Michael Busch leads off a ballgame or an inning is through the roof, and I think I'm just one of the lucky ones that gets to have watched his year so far.

Q. Can you take us through what the feeling was in the dugout when Pete got the hit the first inning and how huge that was?

MICHAEL BUSCH: It is, it's huge. I think that's a perfect word to put it. Came through in San Diego against Yu Darvish; it was a big at-bat, big swing. I think that's what we're trying to do as a collective group, is just get guys on, put pressure on them, and sometimes we're going to come through and sometimes we might not.

But just kind of passing the baton and keep putting pressure on them. I feel like we've got a lot of trust in our guys in the lineup, in the guys on the bench to just come through in those situations, and he's come through huge for us, and he's done that for us all year. Been a big reason to why we're where we are.

But yeah, another big swing by him.

Q. You guys obviously in Game 1, you had a starter who couldn't make it out of the first inning. Today you guys do it to them. What does that mean? How meaningful is it to knock out a starter in the first inning and really just set the tone from the start?

MICHAEL BUSCH: I think it's kind of what we're trying to do, I guess. We're just trying to have good at-bats, one after the other, and put pressure on him, make them make decisions. No matter who's on the mound we're trying to get guys on base, we're trying to score them. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't, but the more you can put pressure on them, get guys in scoring position, I feel like the better off you are.

I feel like that's what we've been doing all year, getting a lot of guys on base, and then there's 1 through 9, like I said, guys on the bench, guys just come through in big spots.

PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: Yeah, if we could take the starter out of the game every first inning I think we'd have a 150-win season. That's just hugely important getting into the bullpen in these kind of series.

I mean, it's not like we're facing anybody that's a walk in the park. If we get to their bullpen early, I think it's just beneficial as the series goes on.

Obviously our goal is to play in a Game 5 here. I think anytime you get to make the bullpen work a little bit harder, it's really good as you move forward.

Q. You guys' bullpen has been so lights-out for most of the season. How would you describe being on the field in that eighth inning there watching what Keller did getting out of that jam?

PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: Yeah, BK has had to come in in some tough spots here and there. As have a lot of our guys.

I think there's been points where we haven't picked our bullpen up as an offense. But at the same time, I think the bullpen has always got confidence in the other eight of us that are out there with them, and just the fact that we're going to go make plays.

It's always nice, though, when BK can come in and shut the door and anybody can come in and put the ball on the ground and let Dansby and Nico go to work, let Buschy go to work, Matt.

But that's so cool watching him come in in such a big situation. It's my first time getting to see playoff ball and be a part of it. Kudos to BK because he's, along with the other guys in the bullpen, he's just -- they've all come in in big spots and got the job done so many times.

Q. Pete, if you had a second chance to catch that ball in the eighth inning, do you think you would catch it?

PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: Yeah. There's just, like, some heights or -- there's some types of flight on the baseball that are a little tricky when it's a little lower. I think you see it with Ian a little bit more just because it feels like he's more square with those lights.

But that was just one that I was fighting the lights, and I've made that play before where I'm fighting the lights, and tonight it would have been big if I did make that play, so I was -- it definitely opened up a wound.

No. I was kicking myself, but yeah, I'd absolutely make that play again if I get the chance, for sure.

Q. Do you guys have any message for the fans that brought all this energy tonight?

MICHAEL BUSCH: Yeah, just bring it right back. It's been fun to be a part of. The fan base, just the energy that they've brought all season, and then obviously into the postseason, it's been phenomenal.

I think it's one of those things, is you get the fan base behind you, you get them on their feet, loud, it's like an extra person out there for you. Create a lot of pressure for them. It's fun. It's fun to be out there a part of it, but it's a lot of fun to see them, kind of the energy they bring from the first pitch to the last. Just bring it right back. We're going to need them tomorrow, and we're excited about it, too.

PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG: Yeah, we've got more ball to play, for sure.