Brewers-Cubs set for pivotal NL Central series

Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Brewers-Cubs set for pivotal NL Central series

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Aug 31, 2026 11:55 AM ET

The Milwaukee Brewers have consistently been the best team in MLB since the middle of April.

Milwaukee has a major-league leading 85 wins and holds a comfortable eight-game lead in the National League Central. The second-place Chicago Cubs have a chance to trim that down this week, as the two teams are set to match up for a massive four-game series at Wrigley Field.

Chicago has to take at least three of four from Milwaukee

Just two weeks ago, the Cubs had trimmed the Brewers lead all the way down to three games and it looked like the division race was on. Since then, though, Chicago has hit a wall, and Milwaukee has continued playing its stellar brand of baseball.

With the lead back up to eight games, the Cubs absolutely have to win at least three of the four games just to give themselves a fighting chance to steal the division in the final weeks of the regular season.

The NL CENTRAL RACE heads to Wrigley!

️ 7 games vs. Chicago over the next 10 days
⚾️ The #Brewers have an 8-game lead
Magic Number to clinch the division: 18!#ThisIsMyCrew x #Cubs pic.twitter.com/Tb8Ql7aTqc
— ESPN Madison (@ESPNMadison) August 31, 2026

The Cubs won two of three in Milwaukee the last time the teams met

Chicago traveled to Milwaukee at the end of June and got one of their biggest series wins of the season. The Cubs took two out of three in games that Milwaukee had Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison and Brandon Woodruff take the mound.

Even more impressive, the heroes of the series finale for Chicago were Bryse Wilson and Jordan Wicks, both of whom are no longer on the major league roster. It was an improbable series win for the Cubs and one that both teams remember.

A Milwaukee series win would almost certainly clinch the division

If Milwaukee were the march into Wrigley Field and take three or even all four games from Chicago, the division race would be about as close to over as it could possibly get.

The Cubs will need to protect home field if they have any hopes of winning a division title for the first time since 2020.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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