Chicago Cubs vs Milwaukee Brewers – Series Preview (August 31-September 3): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (77-60) are scuffling right now, having gone 3-7 in their last 10 games with three consecutive series losses. The bullpen has been a big factor in those struggles, as evidenced by several blown leads in the late innings. They have fallen eight games behind the Brewers in the division as they come to Wrigley for four games starting Monday.
Milwaukee (85-52) has a three-game lead for the best record in baseball and shows no signs of slowing down. It may be painful for many readers, but this team is legit and they are unlikely to cool off the rest of the way.
The Brew Crew uses more of a small-ball approach on offense with the fewest home runs in baseball (126), but their .735 team OPS is fifth best. Left fielder Jackson Chourio and first baseman Jake Bauers have been the two best offensive performers this season.
Of course, Milwaukee’s bread and butter is the pitching staff, which has a 3.37 team ERA that is second only to the Yankees. The starting rotation is excellent, led by Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski, who has a sparkling 1.73 ERA with 222 strikeouts.
The Brewers bullpen is also one of the top units in the league with a 3.26 ERA. Trevor Megill continues to be a lockdown closer, and primary setup man Abner Uribe returns from a forearm injury on Monday. DL Hall has been very good, and Cubs castoff Bryse Wilson is doing well in lower-leverage roles.
If things had gone differently, this might have been a very important series. Instead, the Cubs’ recent stumbles have greatly reduced the importance in terms of the National League Central race. That being said, the Cubs need all the wins they can possibly get to make sure they are in the playoffs. So they need to step up and try to grab a series victory.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Monday, August 31 at 6:40pm CT on Marquee.
- Tuesday, September 1 at 6:40pm CT on TBS and Marquee.
- Wednesday, September 2 at 6:40pm CT on MLBN and Marquee.
- Thursday, September 3 at 6:15pm CT on FOX.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 8/31 | Clay Holmes | 33 | R | 2.26 | 5-6 | 3.35 | 2.20 |
| Kyle Harrison | 25 | L | 2.79 | 10-3 | 3.29 | 4.70 | |
| 9/1 | Matthew Boyd | 35 | L | 3.99 | 8-3 | 4.67 | 2.53 |
| Robert Gasser | 27 | L | 4.59 | 4–5 | 4.44 | 3.12 | |
| 9/2 | David Peterson | 30 | L | 5.11 | 7-7 | 4.05 | 2.10 |
| Jacob Misiorowski | 24 | R | 1.73 | 14–5 | 2.14 | 6.34 | |
| 9/3 | Kevin Gausman | 35 | R | 4.62 | 8-11 | 3.60 | 3.63 |
| Logan Henderson | 27 | R | 2.48 | 9-2 | 3.29 | 6.14 |
What to Watch For
- Pete Crow-Armstrong is red hot with five home runs in his last two games.
- Nico Hoerner had five hits against the Reds.
- Holmes has given up just one run in his last three outings.
- Seiya Suzuki had consecutive three-hit games on Friday and Saturday.
