TrendXDay
United States Momentum 773 verified sources

Brewers Vs Cubs: Brewers open four-game Wrigley Field series against Cubs

By TrendXDay Editorial Desk
MLB.com

The brewers vs cubs matchup opens a four-game series at Wrigley Field on Monday, Aug. 31, with Milwaukee entering eight games ahead of Chicago in the National League Central. Available reporting previews the game but does not establish a final score or winner.

Brewers open four-game Wrigley Field series against Cubs

Milwaukee enters the series at 85-52, the best record in Major League Baseball, while Chicago is 77-60. The Brewers have won five consecutive series, according to Brew Crew Ball’s series preview, while the Cubs have lost their last three series against the Mariners, Diamondbacks and Reds.

Monday’s opener is the first of seven games between the teams over a 10-day span. After the four-game set at Wrigley Field, Milwaukee is scheduled to host Chicago for three games at American Family Field from Sept. 7-9, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

The reported pitching matchup is Milwaukee left-hander Kyle Harrison against Chicago right-hander Clay Holmes. Harrison is listed at 10-3 with a 2.79 ERA, while Holmes is listed at 5-6 with a 2.26 ERA. The game was scheduled for Monday night, with intermittent rain and occasional thunder reported in the area before the start.

Milwaukee’s division lead is the central stake

The Brewers’ eight-game advantage gives them a substantial lead in the division standings, but the series puts the two teams into direct competition during an important late-season stretch. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Milwaukee is pursuing a fourth consecutive division title and its fifth National League Central championship in six seasons.

The same report said Milwaukee has maintained the league’s best record while relying on the largest run differential in the majors, despite hitting the fewest home runs. Brew Crew Ball’s preview listed Milwaukee with a .255/.338/.397 team slash line, 683 runs and 135 stolen bases through the reported point in the season.

Chicago’s offense has produced more power by comparison. The preview listed the Cubs at .251/.339/.428, with 725 runs and 187 home runs. Pete Crow-Armstrong was identified as a leading contributor, with a .283/.377/.577 slash line, 38 home runs, 91 RBIs, 99 runs and 32 stolen bases.

Pitching and roster updates

For the remaining games at Wrigley Field, the reported probable starters are:

  • Sept. 1: Milwaukee’s Robert Gasser vs. Chicago’s Matthew Boyd.
  • Sept. 2: Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski vs. Chicago’s David Peterson.
  • Sept. 3: Milwaukee’s Logan Henderson vs. Chicago’s Kevin Gausman.

The Brewers also reinstated right-hander Abner Uribe from the injured list before Monday’s game and placed right-hander Bryse Wilson on the 15-day injured list with a low back strain, according to the Journal Sentinel’s game update. An earlier Brew Crew Ball preview had described Uribe as expected to return after missing time with a right forearm flexor strain.

Chicago entered the series without shortstop Dansby Swanson, who was reported to be targeting a mid- to late-September return. The Cubs’ listed pitching absences included several players with September, undetermined or season-ending return statuses.

As of the available pregame reporting, the confirmed state is that the Brewers and Cubs were set to begin the four-game series Monday night in Chicago. The outcome of the opener and any changes to the listed pitching plans were not established.

More recent explainers