Cubs vs Brewers – Series Preview (April 26-29): TV and Game Info, Pitching Matchups, Insights
The Cubs had a pretty good road trip overall, going 3-2 against the Rockies and Indians behind stout offense and pitching (for the most part). Tyler Chatwood and Jon Lester both pitched well against the team from Cleveland, with Lester pitching past the 6th inning. Lester’s outing was the first time a Cubs starter made it through the first seven frames of a ballgame this season.
They’ll need more of the same from their starters against the red-hot Brewers, against whom they will play four games this weekend at Wrigley. The Cubs won three out of four games in Milwaukee earlier this month, but the Brewers come to Chicago winners of their last eight.
As you may recall, Brewers closer Corey Knebel suffered a hamstring injury while pitching against the Cubs in previous series. That injury has not affected the Brewers all that much, as they currently sit in first place in the NL Central on the strength of that win streak. Granted, those wins all came against three weak teams in the Reds, Marlins, and Royals, so remind Brewers fans of that if they brag about their team’s recent success.
Yu Darvish, Kyle Hendricks, and Jose Quintana all faced this team in the previous series. Darvish and Quintana had their best outings of the season by far. Darvish went six innings, allowing one run on two hits (an Eric Thames home run) and one walk while striking out nine. Quintana also pitched six innings and held the Brewers scoreless by allowing only three hits and two walks.
Hendricks, who has had issues with the longball all season, allowed four runs (all on homers) over five innings. He’ll be first to take the mound Thursday evening at Wrigley.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Thursday, April 26 at 7:05 CT on NBC Sports Chicago and MLB Network (out-of-market only)
- Friday, April 27 at 1:20 CT on NBC Sports Chicago and MLB Network (out-of-market only)
- Saturday, April 28 at 1:20 CT on ABC-7 and MLB Network (out-of-market only)
- Sunday, April 29 at 1:20 CT on NBC Sports Chicago
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 4/26 | Kyle Hendricks | 28 | R | 4.09 | 1-1 | 5.63 | 2.71 |
| Chase Anderson | 30 | R | 3.25 | 2-1 | 5.88 | 2.33 | |
| 4/27 | Yu Darvish | 31 | R | 6.86 | 0-2 | 5.00 | 1.91 |
| Brent Suter | 28 | L | 5.68 | 1-2 | 4.04 | 3.17 | |
| 4/28 | Jose Quintana | 29 | L | 7.78 | 2-1 | 5.21 | 1.45 |
| Junior Guerra | 33 | R | 0.56 | 2-0 | 2.80 | 2.50 | |
| 4/29 | Tyler Chatwood | 28 | R | 3.74 | 1-3 | 4.28 | 1.21 |
| Zach Davies | 25 | R | 4.45 | 2-2 | 5.18 | 2.20 |
What to Watch For
- The starting pitchers have been the weakest aspect of the Cubs by far, so pay attention to how they are executing their pitches. If the starters are consistently getting into three-ball counts, things probably are not going well for them, and vice versa.
- Chatwood has had issues with walks this year, but has somehow been able to limit the impact they have had on the scoreboard. Watch how he approaches the Brewers hitters.
- Javy Baez has been a force on offense this year. He leads the team in fWAR, wRC+, RBI, home runs, runs scored, and slugging. Watch for him to continue his great start to the season.
- The experts predict pretty good weather overall for the series, but don’t be surprised if Mother Nature changes her mind and decides to muck up yet another Cubs series. I’m mostly kidding, but you should still pay attention to the forecast if you’re planning on spending a day or four at Wrigley.