Itโs time for the rubber game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs on a beautiful sunny day at American Family Field. The Brewers are hoping for a series win and a chance to secure a 7.5-game lead over the Chicago Cubs when we reach the seasonโs mathematical halfway point. This is the Brewersโ 81st of 162 games.
The Brewers will have veteran leader Brandon Woodruff on the mound. Woodruff made a strong return to the rotation during his last trip after dealing with a dead arm and a six-week stint at Illinois. Woodruff will be looking to replicate that success against the Cubs, a team that knows him very well, and vice versa.
Meanwhile, the Cubs will have former first-round pick Ryan Rolison. Rolison was drafted by the Rockies, struggled there after making his MLB debut last year, bounced around and was a member of the Braves and White Sox on paper in the offseason before landing with the Cubs. Heโs having a good season with a 1.82 ERA in 25 appearances, although this is just his second start. It will be mostly a game for the Cubs this afternoon as they try to piece together their rotation after a string of injuries.
Even though itโs Sunday afternoon, the Brewers will have almost all of their regulars in the starting lineup. Christian Yelich, Jackson Churio and Bryce Turang, as usual, make up the top of the order. However, William Contreras gets the day off, playing a day game after a night game. Gary Sanchez will stand behind the dish and bat in the sixth. Garrett Mitchell is also out of the lineup after leaving last night with cramps, but it doesnโt appear to be anything serious. Churio moves to center and Jake Bowers is in left field, allowing Bowers and Vaughn to fit into the lineup.
The Cubs will field the same lineup as they have throughout the series. Pete Crowe-Armstrong takes the lead, followed by Alex Bregman, Michael Bush and Seiya Suzuki.
After struggling in the bullpen last night, the Brewers will be looking for vintage starter Brandon Woodruff to shut down the Cubs and do it effectively. The Cubsโ bullpen has had some struggles, so if the Brewers can get to Rolison and the rest of this group early, things could work out very well for the team.