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: Chicago Cubs

Record: 11-10

Record (Last 10): 5-5

ERA: 4.06 – 9th in National League

OBP: .346 – 1st in National League

Team HR: 24 – 9th in National League

Team Leader – WAR: Javier Baez – 1.3 WAR (Baseball Reference)

Despite the offensive resurgence the Cubs displayed on the recent road trip, the club still managed a lackluster 5-5 record over their last 10 ballgames. A big part of that? Starting pitching.

Yu Darvish is yet to get through five quality innings in a start. Jose Quintana‘s been burned by big innings multiple times and Tyler Chatwood plays with fire every time he takes the hill. That being said, Lester pitched well in the finale in Cleveland and Kyle Hendricks comes off his first win of the year.

The story, as we all know, is Javier Baez. The exciting infielder added two more hits in the loss Wednesday, and is hitting north of .300. But he can’t do it alone. Anthony Rizzo continues to scuffle in a big way and Kris Bryant has been sidelined since being hit in the head by a pitch over the weekend.

Albert Almora seems to have cemented himself as the team’s center fielder and Willson Contreras is starting to heat up. Situational hitting will be this team’s cure or curse, depending on the outcome. In their most recent contest, Cubs hitters went just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

Given the team ranks near the bottom of the league in percentage of runs scored via the long ball, situational hitting is the end-all. You can’t win without it – a lesson these young hitters are quickly learning.

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.