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Cubs Make Pitching Announcement Before Critical Brewers Series

The Chicago Cubs will send three left-handers and a right-hander to the mound this week as they open a three-game set against the Milwaukee Brewers that could shape the rest of the National League Central race.

The Cubs dropped their series finale to the Miami Marlins 10-3 on Sunday but still took two of three games in that series. They now turn their attention north to Milwaukee, where first pitch Monday is set for 2:10 p.m. ET.

Chicago sits seven games behind the Brewers in the division standings. The Cubs also are trying to protect the top wild-card position, holding a half-game edge over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Manager Craig Counsell and the front office posted the probable starters on MLB.com ahead of the series. Matthew Boyd will start Monday opposite Milwaukee’s Robert Gasser. Boyd is 8-3 with a 4.05 ERA and 79 strikeouts this season. Gasser is 4-5 with a 4.57 ERA and 82 strikeouts.

David Peterson takes the ball Tuesday against Jacob Misiorowski. Peterson is 7-8 with a 5.39 ERA and 113 strikeouts. Misiorowski has been one of the league’s most effective starters at 14-5 with a 1.97 ERA and 227 strikeouts.

Kevin Gausman is scheduled for Wednesday against Logan Henderson. Gausman is 9-11 with a 4.38 ERA and 165 strikeouts. Henderson is 9-3 with a 2.48 ERA and 93 strikeouts.

The matchups look familiar. They are the same three pairings the teams used in the final three games of their series at Wrigley Field earlier this week.

The Cubs rotation has been inconsistent even after midseason additions of Gausman and Clay Holmes. As a group the starters carry a 4.12 ERA, have allowed 586 runs and have recorded 1,082 strikeouts, a total that ranks 26th in the majors.

Shota Imanaga has been the most reliable arm most of the year. He is 9-10 with a 3.91 ERA in 28 starts.

Boyd’s recent work has given the club some optimism heading into Milwaukee. The veteran left-hander has shown better command in his last few outings after a rocky stretch in July.

Peterson has battled inconsistency all season. His strikeout total is solid, but the ERA remains well above league average and the Cubs will need a cleaner outing Tuesday if they hope to take the series.

Gausman has settled in since arriving in Chicago. He has given the team length and a veteran presence at the back of the rotation, even if the win-loss record does not fully reflect his contributions.

The Brewers enter the series with the division lead and one of the stronger pitching staffs in the National League. Misiorowski in particular has been dominant, posting numbers that put him among the league leaders in several categories.

Chicago’s offense will need to produce against that group. The Cubs scored 10 runs in one of the three games against Miami but were held in check in the other two.

A sweep of the Brewers would cut the division deficit to four games and give Chicago breathing room in the wild-card standings. Anything less and the Cubs will remain in a tight race with several teams chasing the same postseason spots.

The series also carries extra weight because the two clubs already know each other well after meeting at Wrigley Field just days ago. Both sides will look for small adjustments after seeing the same pitchers so recently.

Weather in Milwaukee is expected to be typical early-September conditions, with no major delays anticipated for the afternoon start Monday. The Cubs will travel after Sunday’s game and have a normal day to prepare.

This article first appeared on Viral Sports News and was syndicated with permission.

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