Cubs vs Brewers Series Preview (April 23-25): TV and Game Info, Starting Pitchers, Insights
The Cubs (9-9) head into a big weekend series playing their best baseball of the young season after a three-game sweep of the Mets. Chicago was able to win those games with just a single home run, a welcome change from the homer-dependent attack they have featured early on. Now they welcome the equally hot Brewers (11-7) to Wrigley for three to close out the homestand.
Milwaukee just swept the Padres in San Diego to move into first place in the NL Central, but Christian Yelich, Kolten Wong, and Lorenzo Cain are all out with injuries. Catcher Omar Narvaez continues to be the best hitter in the early going with a 1.059 OPS.
The Brewers’ real strength is their pitching, which has been even better than advertised in 2021. Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes, Freddy Peralta, and even Brett Anderson have been great as starters. The all-world bullpen, led by closer Josh Hader and setup man Devin Williams, is as effective as ever.
This is already the third series of the season between these two teams and tensions are high after Willson Contreras was hit by several pitches in the first few matchups. The Brewers have won the first two series, so the onus is on Chicago to keep their rivals close and take this set.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Friday, April 23 at 1:20pm CT on MLB Network/Marquee
- Saturday, April 24 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee
- Sunday, April 25 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee
Starting Pitchers
Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
4/23 | Kyle Hendricks | 31 | R | 6.92 | 0-2 | 8.08 | 1.71 |
Brett Anderson | 33 | L | 2.65 | 2-1 | 5.14 | 2.00 | |
4/24 | Adbert Alzolay | 26 | R | 6.10 | 0-2 | 4.54 | 3.33 |
Freddy Peralta | 24 | R | 2.00 | 2-0 | 3.25 | 2.58 | |
4/25 | Jake Arrieta | 35 | R | 2.86 | 3-1 | 3.86 | 2.25 |
Brandon Woodruff | 28 | R | 1.96 | 1-0 | 1.74 | 4.33 |
What to Watch For
- Kris Bryant had four hits and a pair of walks against the Mets. He looks extremely locked in at the moment.
- Craig Kimbrel has still not allowed a run this season.
- Kyle Hendricks has struggled so far and really needs to be locked in Friday.