Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers preview, Tuesday 7/29, 6:40 CT

Photo by Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Today’s roster move: Here

Tuesday notes...

• STARTING OUT IN MILWAUKEE: The Cubs’ loss last night dropped their record in first games of series at Milwaukee to 31-41. They were 28-27 after winning the opener of their first two visits in 2018. Then they lost three in a row, won once, lost six in a row, won once and lost four in a row — both games of two trips in 2023 and 2024 — before winning, 10-0, on May 2 and losing last night. In second games, the Cubs are 36-35. They have won five in a row and six of seven, with five of the wins coming after first-game losses. They are 21-19 after losing all first games. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• RYNO AND THE BREWERS: With the Brewers being an American League team until 1998, Ryne Sandberg played against them only once. That happened in the very first Cubs interleague series, June 13-15, 1997 at Wrigley Field. He went 2-for-9 with a double, three walks and four runs scored. The Cubs won two of three; let’s hope they can repeat that this week.
• THE BUSCH LEAGUE: Michael Busch, 22 games in July: .295/.382/.551 (23-for-78) with two doubles, six home runs, 11 RBI and 12 runs scored.
• THIS DAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Michael Barrett and Aramis Ramirez hit back-to-back bases-loaded singles to walk the game off in the ninth after the Cubs entered that inning trailing 3-2. Instead, they had a 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks. It happened 20 years ago today, Friday, July 29, 2005.

Here are today’s particulars.

Lineups were not available at posting time. Please check BCB social media for tonight’s lineups.

Colin Rea, RHP vs. Quinn Priester, RHP

Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Going to trot out that word “cromulent” again. Colin Rea has been a perfectly cromulent fifth starter. Sometimes he’s really good! Other times, not so much. The problem is that Rea has been asked to be a fourth starter now, with all the injuries, and that’s not so good.

Before he stunk it out against the Royals last week, though, he had

a four-start run in which he posted a 1.90 ERA. Maybe he can get that back against the Brewers, who he has not faced since 2020. Most of the current Brewers have never faced him. I’m sure he’d like to do well against the team for which he pitched parts of three seasons.

Quinn Priester was the No. 1 pick of the Pirates in 2019 out of Cary-Grove High School in the northwest suburbs. As is the case for many Pirates top picks, he winds up doing well for another team.

The Cubs hit Priester pretty hard May 2 in Milwaukee — seven runs in four-plus innings after the Brewers used an opener before he came into the game. That included home runs by Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong. It was the worst start of his career.

Do that again, Cubs.

Baseball Savant

Baseball Savant

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. You can find out if Marquee is available via a provider in your area here.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Brewers site Brew Crew Ball. If you do go there to interact with Brewers fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2025 Game Thread procedure will be identical to last year’s.

You’ll find the game preview posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game, including the First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread, as well as the recap when it’s published. The recap will also live on the front page as a separate post.

You will also be able to find the preview, First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread in the box marked “Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page (you can also find them in this section link). The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

The First Pitch thread will post at five minutes before game time, then an overflow thread at 90 minutes after the scheduled game time.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

More from bleedcubbieblue.com:

• Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg has passed away
• Marquee Sports Network will be moving to Comcast’s higher-priced tier
• Cub Tracks’ a titan passes, contractual obligations, and also baseball
• Jed Hoyer receives multi-year contract extension to stay with the Cubs
• Today in Cubs history: Ryne Sandberg’s first retirement
• Three up, three down: An update on the Cubs, July 28 edition
• Cubs vs. Brewers Monday 7/28 game threads