The top two teams in the NL Central Division meet up at Wrigley Field on Wednesday afternoon as the Chicago Cubs host the Milwaukee Brewers. This is the rubber match of the three-game series, as both teams have picked up a win.
Milwaukee had their nine-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday night as they fell by a final score of 1-0. The Brewers still hold a four-game lead in the NL Central Division with a record of 74-58.
Chicago has been on a tear since the beginning of July, and they have improved their record to 70-62 on the year. The Cubs are trying to track down the Brewers but are currently in the playoff field as a Wild Card team.
The moneyline for the series finale is set at EVEN, showing just how tight this game could be.
Brewers Hot at the Plate
The Milwaukee Brewers might not have scored any runs on Tuesday night, but the wind kept a few balls in the park. Milwaukee was on an offensive tear during their nine-game winning streak, and they will put pressure on the Cubs tomorrow.
Willy Adames leads this team with 21 home runs, and Christian Yelich is back to leading the way at the top of the order. Yelich is hitting .282 so far this season, and he has also driven in 68 runs from the leadoff spot.
Brandon Woodruff is set to start on Wednesday for the Brewers, and he has gone 3-1 with a 2.65 ERA on the year. The Brewers also have a dominant bullpen, and they will be tough to beat if they get an early lead.
Hendricks Takes Hill For Cubs
It will be veteran Kyle Hendricks making the start for the Cubs in the series finale, and he is just 5-7 on the year. Hendricks has been pitching well of late for the Cubs, and his ERA has dropped all the way down to just 3.80.
The offensive numbers for the Cubs since the All-Star Break are great, but this team has started to cool off just a bit. Cody Bellinger leads the team with a batting average of .317, and he has also belted 20 home runs.
The Cubs are going to have to string some hits together against Woodruff, and they need the top of the order to get going. Wrigley Field will be rocking in this one, and that should provide a lift.
Brewers Bounce Back with Win
It was an emotional night for the Cubs on Tuesday night, and they simply had some dominant performances from their pitching staff. That isn’t going to happen again on Wednesday, as the Brewers are going to have a big day against Hendricks.
Milwaukee doesn’t want to give the Cubs a chance to hang around in this division, and winning this series would be a huge statement. Look for Woodruff to put together a great outing on the mound in this matchup, as he will shut the Cubs down.
Bet the Milwaukee Brewers on the run line at -1.5 as they are able to pull away and win this game.
