Chicago Cubs welcome Milwaukee Brewers to Wrigley for four-game set

The Chicago Cubs take on the first-place Milwaukee Brewers this weekend, looking to assert themselves atop a closely-packed National League Central.

After a brief two-game stint in Cleveland, the Chicago Cubs begin a four-game weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers Thursday night at Wrigley Field. For the first time this season, weather doesn’t seem like it will be an issue – and you might not need a poncho or a parka if you’re catching the action.

Chicago comes off a split series against the Indians following Wednesday night’s loss. Despite a quality start from Jon Lester, the offense managed just one run against Trevor Bauer and the Cleveland bullpen.

Milwaukee, meanwhile, are winners of eight straight games. The Brewers and former Royals outfielder completed a sweep of Kansas City on Wednesday in a 6-2 win. In the last week, the Milwaukee offense scored a minimum of four runs in every single contest.

The last two times these teams met, it was in Milwaukee. The Brew Crew took three of four in that long weekend series. Now, it’s the Cubs’ turn to play host as they look to get back on top of the National League Central.

Heading into the Series: Milwaukee Brewers

Record: 16-9

Record (Last 10): 8-2

ERA: 3.27 – 3rd in National League

OBP: .318 – 8th in National League

Team HR: 30 

Team Leader – WAR: Travis Shaw – 1.5 WAR (Baseball Reference)

Talk about a team on a roll. Winners of eight straight contests, Milwaukee comes to Wrigley looking to turn the heat up on their division rival. Behind lights-out starting pitching and a powerful offense, the Brewers have been rolling over the last two weeks.

More from Cubbies Crib

• Cubs should keep close eye on non-tender candidate Cody Bellinger
• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups

Third baseman Travis Shaw is proving 2017 was no fluke. He’s driven in 14 runs so far this year and carries a .919 OPS into Thursday’s opener. With first baseman Eric Thames out with a torn ligament in his thumb, Shaw becomes more important than ever in that Milwaukee lineup.

Last time these two teams met, Christian Yelich battled an injury that kept him out of the lineup. The Cubs won’t be so lucky this time around, though, as the former Miami outfielder is back – and on a tear. He’s hitting .320 this season – and with regular playing time, he could become even hotter.

The starting rotation, which people (myself included) lambasted this offseason, has been pretty solid. They’ve managed to piece things together to this point – with solid results. Brewers starters’ ERA so far this season is more than a full run better than the Cubs’ rotation.

Cubs hoping Darvish gets it together this weekend

Thursday, April 26: Chase Anderson (2-1, 3.25) v. Kyle Hendricks (1-1, 4.09)

Right-hander Chase Anderson takes the ball in the opener for Milwaukee, coming off an outing in which he got tagged for the loss – despite pitching into the sixth. Battling the Marlins and former Milwaukee top prospect Lewis Brinson, Anderson came out on the wrong side of things.

He’s pitching on an extra day of rest, too. Craig Counsell pushed him back a day so he could open the series against the Cubs.

As for Chicago, Kyle Hendricks takes the hill in search of a second straight win. On April 6, he squared off against these Brewers – but came away with a no-decision. The right-hander carries a career 3.01 ERA in 16 starts against Milwaukee.

Friday, April 27: Brent Suter (1-2, 5.68) v. Yu Darvish (0-2, 6.86)

Of all the games, this one will likely draw the attention of Cubs fans most. And it’s strictly due to who’s on the mound for Chicago in Yu Darvish. The team’s biggest offseason addition ran into trouble three times now in the fifth inning of starts. First it was cramps, then a balk call and, last time out, walking the opposing pitcher.

Brent Suter, meanwhile, is yet to make it through six innings this season. So, at least on paper, these two might be evenly matched. Opponents are batting just under .300 against him this season, so look for the Cubs’ offense to get to work.

Quintana, Chatwood hope to keep moving forward

Saturday, April 28: Junior Guerra (2-0, 0.56) v. Jose Quintana (2-1, 7.78)

Making his second start of the season at home, Jose Quintana looks to settle in and get back to what we all know he’s capable of on the mound. He comes off his second win of the year – a seven strikeout effort in Colorado. But he’s been burned by a few big innings already this season, so it’s worth keeping an eye on that.

Meanwhile, Brewers starter Junior Guerra continues to surprise. Since joining the big-league team from Triple-A, the right-hander has allowed a grand total of one run over 16 innings of work spanning three starts. It’s too soon to tell if this is for real, but, for the time being, the Cubs have to go through him either way.

Keep an eye on Lorenzo Cain, who has a substantial body of work against Quintana from their AL Central playing days. He’s a career .298 hitter against the lefty.

Sunday April 29: Zach Davies (2-2, 4.45) v. Tyler Chatwood (1-3, 3.74)

Last time Zach Davies took the mound opposite the Cubs, it didn’t end well for Chicago. The right-hander limited the offense to just one run over six innings of work, picking up the win. In 30 career at-bats against him, Kris Bryant has hit a staggering .433 – so his being back in the lineup by then is key.

Chatwood comes off his first win as a Cub. He was, of course, wild as ever – but managed to do what he needed to come away with the ‘W’. His high-strikeout, high-walk performances are becoming the norm, but we’ll see if there’s more balance his next time out.

One way or another, expect excitement this weekend

For the Cubs, this series comes down to two things: starting pitching and situational hitting.

Chicago starters enter the series with an unsightly 4.98 earned run average this season. Something that was supposed to be a big strength for this ball club has been anything but throughout the first month or so of the season.

As of Thursday, the Chicago offense holds the third-lowest OPS in the league with runners in scoring position. Without timely hits, this team will continue to hover around the .500 mark. Hopefully, this weekend gives the club a chance to get into a little bit of a routine – something that’s been near-impossible to this point.

Next: Schwarber looks ready to make some noise

Milwaukee looks like the real deal – despite what Cubs fans might like to think. Expect a hard-nosed battle this weekend at the Confines in what I expect will be a series split between these two rivals.