Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell hands to ball over to pitcher Brad Keller (40) during the eighth inning of their National League Division Series game against the Milwaukee Brewers Wednesday, October 8, 2025 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cubs' Dansby Swanson Has Huge Compliment For Brewers Amid Rivalry Showdown

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Oct 9, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The Milwaukee Brewers put themselves in an advantageous position, but finishing the job only gets harder with each passing day.

After taking a 2-0 series lead over the Chicago Cubs in the National League Division Series, the Brewers dropped a 4-3 nailbiter at Wrigley Field on Wednesday night. That means Milwaukee still has two chances left to eliminate the division-rival Cubs, but momentum has started to flip.

Entering Thursday's Game 4, the Cubs know they still face long odds to take down the Brewers. Not only is it rare for a team to overcome a 2-0 series deficit, but this Milwaukee team has left quite an impression on Chicago throughout their battles all year.

Cubs leader has major respect for Brewers' grit

Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson, reflecting on the challenge ahead, paid the Brewers the ultimate compliment after the hard-fought battle between the two sides on Wednesday night.

“They’re never going to make things easy,” Swanson said, per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. “That’s been kind of their MO all year. And we’ve been just as good at grinding it out all season.”

The Brewers won't give teams much of a window of opportunity. After quickly snuffing the Cubs out in Games 1 and 2, Milwaukee's only lapse on Wednesday came in the bottom of the first inning, when first-time playoff starter Quinn Priester struggled to find his command.

Preister allowed all four earned runs, only recording two outs before handing the game over to the bullpen. But the Brewers' five relievers combined to allow no earned runs and just five hits over the course of the next 7 1/3 innings.

The rivalry between the Cubs and Brewers has reached a boiling point this year, as both teams were finally good enough to make the playoffs, and the lingering sting of manager Craig Counsell ditching his hometown team for the big market of Chicago has added some color.

But if you're looking for hostility among the two sides, it doesn't appear you'll find it. Swanson echoes a common sentiment among the players in this showdown: the other side is good, too.

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Brewers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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