Here we go! After a divisional battle this season that saw the Brewers take over the top spot from the Cubs in mid-July, it won’t matter that much as they’ll face each other in the playoffs anyway! The familiarity of these two opponents at this point in the season will be interesting, and I truly have no idea what to expect. But here’s what I’m thinking:
The Brewers have “home-field advantage” for this one, though what exactly is “home-field advantage” in a series where the teams are roughly 90 miles
apart? So I’d say that just about goes out the window here. Instead, let’s look at this one on paper.
Milwaukee’s offense went quiet in the second half of September, finishing the season in a similar way to how they started. The team also dealt with plenty of pitching injuries down the stretch, something they also dealt with early in the year. Sensing a pattern? But after five days off between the final regular season game and the NLDS, we’ll see if that can change those trends.
Offensively, the Crew has had a balanced attack for most of the year with Brice Turang, Sal Frelick, Andrew Vaughn, Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, and William Contreras slotting into the top of the order. Caleb Durbin, Joey Ortiz, Isaac Collins, Jake Bauers, Rhys Hoskins, Blake Perkins, Andruw Monasterio, and Danny Jansen also figured into things prominently down the stretch, while I’d assume speedy outfielder Brandon Lockridge will join the team for at least this series, assuming they don’t bring a full slate of pitchers to the roster.
For the Cubs, the offense is what worries me. Though they only scored six runs over their three-game set with the Padres, they have the ability to score in bunches. Between Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch, Dansby Swanson, Kyle Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, and all the rest, this team is scary when they’re right. We’ll see which version of the Cubs we get here.
On the pitching side, Brandon Woodruff is still a huge question mark, as the team hasn’t made any announcements about his injury status as of Thursday night. Beyond that, Jose Quintana is looking likely to return, and bullpen pieces like Trevor Megill and DL Hall are also back in the fold. With Freddy Peralta and Quinn Priester lined up to start the first two games in this series, the least of my concerns is Milwaukee’s pitching staff, but knowing how the postseason goes, I’ll probably look dumb in a few days.
While the Cubs’ pitching staff isn’t the greatest, they’ve had their share of success here as well. Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Colin Rea, and Cade Horton (if he’s healthy, which isn’t looking likely) are all strong in their own ways. The bullpen has had an up-and-down season, but in the postseason, their deep-ish bullpen with Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar, Andrew Kittredge, Daniel Palencia, Drew Pomeranz, Mike Soroka, and Taylor Rogers will likely come in handy.
We’ll see how things play out as the two teams announce their rosters (likely Saturday morning) — more on that then.
Probable Pitchers
*Note: Beyond Freddy Peralta in game 1, neither team has announced any starters for this series as of Friday morning. I’ll fill in the gaps below as more is known.*
Saturday, October 4 @ 1:08 p.m.: Freddy Peralta vs. TBD
Freddy Peralta has been solid in just about every start this season, allowing more than three runs just four times in 33 starts. Both of his final two starts in the regular season were abbreviated, as he totaled just 120 pitches across seven innings against the Padres and Reds. In those two games, he allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk with nine strikeouts. Peralta has appeared in six postseason games (three starts) during his career, spanning 18 innings with eight runs allowed (4.00 ERA) and 22 strikeouts. In four starts against the Cubs this season, Peralta went 3-1, allowing eight runs over 21 innings (3.43 ERA) on 12 hits and 10 walks, striking out 22. For his career, he’s made 22 appearances (17 starts) against Chicago, with a 9-3 record, 3.21 ERA, and 131 strikeouts across 98 innings.
Monday, October 6 @ 8:08 p.m.: TBD vs. TBD
Wednesday, October 8 @ TBD: TBD vs. TBD
Thursday, October 9 @ TBD *if necessary: TBD vs. TBD
Saturday, October 11 @ TBD *if necessary: TBD vs. TBD
How to Watch
Saturday, October 4: Watch on TBS & HBO Max; available via radio on ESPN Radio and the Brewers Radio Network
Monday, October 6: Watch on TBS & HBO Max; available via radio on ESPN Radio and the Brewers Radio Network
Wednesday, October 8: Watch on TBS & HBO Max; available via radio on ESPN Radio and the Brewers Radio Network
Thursday, October 9: Watch on TBS & HBO Max; available via radio on ESPN Radio and the Brewers Radio Network
Saturday, October 11: Watch on TBS & HBO Max; available via radio on ESPN Radio and the Brewers Radio Network
Prediction
I’m looking forward to this series, but also dreading another chance at an early exit. Cautiously optimistic as I’ve been every year since 2018, I’ll take the Brewers to win this series in four games behind some strong pitching and timely offense.
