Cubs vs Brewers – Series Preview (August 14,15): TV and Game Info, Starting Pitchers, Insights
Following the incredible come-from-behind victory on Sunday night due to David Bote’s walk-off grand slam, the Cubs had a day off before welcoming the Milwaukee Brewers to town for a quick two-game series. The Cubs currently sit at 68-49 and own a three-game lead in the NL Central over the Brewers. Brief though it is, this series presents an opportunity to extend that division lead to a more comfortable five-game cushion.
That wild win Sunday night sent the Cubs into this series with a ton of momentum. Chicago’s two scheduled starters in this series have fared well against the Brewers so far this season, as Jose Quintana owns a 0.95 ERA (19 IP) and Kyle Hendricks has a 3.00 ERA (12 IP) against their division rivals. The Cubs currently lead the season series 8-3 and are looking to continue that dominance.
The Brewers enter the series with a 67-54 record and currently hold the second wild card spot with a two-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Brewers have been scuffling over their last seven games with a 2-5 record and are coming off a series loss to the Braves. However, this team is not to be overlooked and boasts plenty of firepower in the lineup. Christian Yelich (.312 average, 18 HR), Jesus Aguilar (.278 average, 29 HR), and Travis Shaw (.249 average, 23 HR) provide the heart of this offense and can cause headaches for opposing pitchers.
Yelich (.111 average) and Aguilar (.211 average) have struggled against Chicago on the season and continuing to slow them both could be the key to the Cubs winning this series. Let’s hope Quintana and Hendricks can maintain this trend over the next two games.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Tuesday, August 14 at 1:20pm CT on NBC Sports Chicago
- Wednesday, August 15 at 1:20pm CT on WGN
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | W/L | ERA | FIP |
| 8/14 | Jose Quintana | 29 | L | 10-8 | 4.28 | 4.62 |
| Jhoulys Chacin | 30 | R | 11-4 | 3.91 | 4.27 | |
| 8/15 | Kyle Hendricks | 28 | R | 8-9 | 4.02 | 4.26 |
| Junior Guerra | 33 | R | 6-7 | 3.40 | 4.30 |
What To Watch For
- Javy Baez has gone cold of late, hitting .244 in August with a 1-for-17 skid over the last seven days. Javy is the heart of this offense and getting him back on track will provide a boost over the final quarter of the season.
- Anthony Rizzo has rebounded after a slow start to the season and is hitting .308 in August, but he has struggled to a .067 average against the Brewers this season.
- Albert Almora Jr. is hitting .192 in August and hasn’t looked like himself lately. He had a double in the last game against the Nationals so maybe that’s a sign of things to come.