More MLB action is coming your way to spice up your Tuesday night, as the Milwaukee Bucks (48-65) pay the Chicago Cubs (62-48) a visit to start off their three-game series at Wrigley Field. It’s safe to say the Brewers’ chances of making the postseason are looking almost impossible, as they rank dead last in the NL Central standings.
Nonetheless, they’ll try to steal all the wins they can in the remaining games of their schedule. The Cubs, meanwhile, are on a four-game winning streak and will be aiming to prolong that stretch even further. Which team will pick up the victory?
Read on further for an in-depth breakdown of this exciting NL Central showdown. And while you’re at it, check out also our in-depth breakdown between the Yankees and Indians.
It’s been a frustrating season for the Milwaukee Brewers, who are likely going to miss the playoffs for fourth consecutive time. But there have been a few bright spots to smile about and of them is Taylor Jungmann, who’s been surprising a lot of people by consistently providing solid pitching performances in just his rookie year.
[sc:MLB240banner ]Jungmann (6-3, 2.26 ERA) gets the nod Tuesday night for Game 1 against the Chicago Cubs. This marks only his twelfth start of his major league career. The 25-year-old righty was quite spectacular last time out in an 8-5 triumph over San Diego. He yielded two runs in seven frames and delivering a career-high of eight strikeouts. Moreover, that performance marked the eighth-straight time that Jungmann has limited his opponents to only two earned runs or fewer.
However, no team can win without scoring runs and that’s exactly what Jungmann will be hoping to get from his teammates. Expect left fielder Khris Davis, who went 2-for-4 with four RBIs in yesterday’s 5-4 win against the Cardinals, to lead the charge on offense. Davis is only batting .237 on the season, but is 3-for-4 (.750) lifetime opposite the Cubs’ starter Dan Harren.
The Chicago Cubs are clicking at the right time, winning nine of their last 10 games. They’re coming off a huge four-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants with an aggregate score of 22-13. They are now 3.5 games ahead of the defending champions for the second wild card spot in the National League. The Cubs will look to continue rolling and strengthen their current position when they open up a three-game home series with division rivals Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.
Toeing the rubber for the Cubs is Dan Haren, who is 7-7 with a 3.49 ERA thus far this year. Haren made his Cubs debut last Wednesday in a 7-5 defeat at Pittsburgh. He was a no-decision and surrendered four runs (three earned) on seven hits in five innings of work. Haren has pitched five times at Wrigley Field in his career and he’s given up just three runs or fewer in four of those five appearances.
Haren will hope the Cubs can continue providing enough offense at the plate. Chicago has scored four or more runs in nine of their last 10, averaging a sizzling 5.1 runs per game in that stretch. Playing a big part in this offensive outburst is their hard-hitting rookie Kris Bryant, who is currently in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak, during which he is 7-for-21 with five RBIs.
Also, look for their best hitter Anthony Rizzo (.295) to be the difference-maker for the whole series. Rizzo is 9-for-24 (.375) in his previous seven and is a .331 batter with 26 RBIs and 10 homers throughout his career opposite the Brewers.
