The Opener: Crow-Armstrong walks it off, Ohtani goes deep twice, Herrera snaps a caught-stealing drought

A late swing decided things for the Cubs as Pete Crow-Armstrong delivered a walk-off home run to beat the White Sox, turning a standard MLB game into an instant headline. For a lineup that leans heavily on timely power, a homer that ends the contest typically does not just flip the result. It also tightens the margin for error for a club that needs production from the middle of the order and from impact bats when games tighten late.

While Crow-Armstrong provided the finish, Shohei Ohtani supplied the kind of raw damage that forces entire pitching changes and defensive adjustments. On Monday, Ohtani slugged a pair of home runs, continuing a stretch of high-leverage output that keeps him squarely at the center of MVP conversations. The bigger backdrop is that, in late-season races, multi-homer performances can swing both daily momentum and how opponents plan for the next time Ohtani is due up.

The Cardinals’ Ivan Herrera added a different kind of highlight, one tied to run prevention rather than run creation. Herrera threw out Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz attempting to steal second base in the third inning. The play stood out not only for the out, but for what it ended: Herrera’s first caught stealing since 2024.

Caught stealing numbers can be volatile for any catcher, especially with differing pitching repertoires, target tendencies from opposing base stealers, and the specific timing of jump decisions. A rejected steal attempt early enough in the game also matters strategically, because it can influence the next series of pickoff looks, pitcher-batter timing, and whether a runner is willing to risk another attempt with the count and the leverage shifting.

Herrera’s role as a catcher/DH adds another layer to why the out drew attention. When a player splits time between handling the pitching staff and serving as a designated hitter, every plate appearance and every behind-the-plate defensive moment can carry extra weight. Snapping a caught-stealing drought suggests a return to the form that helps keep the running game from getting comfortable against the Cardinals’ battery.

De La Cruz, a frequent threat on the bases, is the type of runner who can force sequences to change within a single at-bat. Getting him out stealing is more than one play. It’s a reminder that the Cardinals can still challenge aggressiveness, and it sets a tone for how much restraint the Reds must show moving forward in similar late-game situations.

In the same day’s edition of “The Opener,” the contrast across these stories is clear. Crow-Armstrong’s walk-off emphasizes clutch scoring, Ohtani’s two-homer performance underscores power at the top of a matchup, and Herrera’s caught stealing highlights the game’s counterpunch element, where defense can swing momentum just as quickly as offense.