Pete Crow-Armstrong hits his 42nd homer on a 4-hit night as Cubs beat Braves 7-3

CHICAGO (AP) — Pete Crow-Armstrong hit his 42nd homer to match the Cubs record for a left-handed batter and finished with four hits and four RBIs to power Chicago past the Atlanta Braves 7-3 on Monday night.

Crow-Armstrong’s two-run shot to right in the sixth inning off AJ Smith-Shawver pulled him even with Hall of Famer Billy Williams’ mark from 1970. Crow-Armstrong has 102 RBIs, putting the All-Star center fielder over 100 for the first time in three full seasons.

David Peterson (8-8) allowed one run on three hits over six-plus innings. Chicago has won three of four and moved one-half game ahead of idle Philadelphia for the top NL wild card.

Crow-Armstrong also hit a two-run double in his seventh four-hit game this season. Nico Hoerner had two hits, scored twice and drove in a run.

Atlanta's Mike Yastrzemski smacked a pinch-hit, two-run homer off reliever Javier Assad in Atlanta’s three-run seventh inning.

Peterson allowed three singles, walked three and struck out seven — including Braves slugger Matt Olson three times — in his 13th start with the Cubs. Acquired from the Mets in June, the left-hander improved to 5-2 with Chicago.

Atlanta’s Reynaldo Lopez (4-5) lasted three innings in his second rough start since coming off the injured list. The right-hander yielded five runs on six hits.

Crow-Armstrong's double to the right-field corner made it 3-0 in the second. His homer to the bleachers in right made it 7-0.

Atlanta loaded the bases against Ryan Zeferjahn in the ninth, but Ronald Acuña Jr. hit into a game-ending double play.

Braves LHP Martín Pérez (8-9, 3.08 ERA) faces Cubs RHP Kevin Gausman (9-12, 4.60) on Tuesday night.

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