CHICAGO – The Cubs are used to playing in front of a packed house and in Wrigley Field’s rowdy environment, but after witnessing the atmosphere only a few days into Chicago’s October journey, center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said he had not realized it could get even wilder.

“We owe more playoff baseball to this fan base, for sure,” Crow-Armstrong said in the hours leading up to Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series.

Crow-Armstrong then helped deliver on that declaration, playing a crucial role in a 3-1 victory over the Padres that punched the Cubs’ ticket to the NL Division Series. He did his thing in center -- making the kind of sliding grab that defies Statcast -- and delivered a clutch hit to put the North Siders on a path to flying the “W” flag atop the old scoreboard.

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