Cubs @ Brewers (Game 47)
The Brewers defeated the Cubs in a 1-0 pitchers' duel and the series stands at 0-1 in the Brewers' favor. The Brewers are now 4 games behind the Cubs and 1 behind the 2nd place Cardinals. Are these games part of the "stretch?" It is September, and only 14 games remain. On the other hand, that's nearly 25% of the season. Both teams have had to manage so far without major contributions from their star hitters. On the Cubs' side, Bryant, Rizzo, Baez, and Schwarber are all near the Mendoza line, and Contreras only recently woke up. For the Brewers, Yelich is also batting near .200 and Keston Hiura has struck out 33.3% of the time while batting .224; their top performers have been Avisail Garcia and Jedd Gyorko. Will role players continue to prop up each team as they drive to the season's conclusion?CHC (26-20): RHP Kyle Hendricks (5-4, 3.41 ERA)
MIL (20-22): LHP Brett Anderson (2-3, 4.64 ERA)
First pitch 6:10 pm central
When was the last time a starting pitcher earned a decision in every start of a season? Hendricks is perfect so far in having a W or an L pinned to his back for all 9 games. He's won his last two starts and has allowed 2 earned runs in 14 innings pitched while striking out 10 and walking 2. He last faced Milwaukee for that Opening Day shutout that seems like a decade ago. He's dominated most current Brewers, although Orlando Arcia has proven himself fairly pesky at 8-26 with 3 doubles and only one strikeout.
Brett Anderson made 31 starts in 2019, his second year of a return to the Athletics. It was his best year since 2010, and he earned a career high 13 wins. This year hasn't matched that level, although he has maintained a very strong 61.6% ground ball rate. He's allowed 4 earned runs in each of his last two starts and he earned a loss at Wrigley back on August 13 despite allowing only 2 earned runs and striking out 5 in 4.1 innings. Current Cubs have collectively slashed .287/.341/.476 off of him in only 58 at bats. Bryant and Schwarber have a homerun a piece. Scratch that. Brett Anderson will sit this one out and Brent Suter (plus the rest of the Brewers' fantastic bullpen) will oppose Hendricks. Since making 18 starts for the Brewers in 2018 and a subsequent Tommy John surgery, the soft-tossing lefty has worked primarily out of the bullpen. He's made only one start this season, in which he went 3 innings and allowed 2 earned runs to the Pirates (on August 31). He's had an uncharacteristically high strikeout rate this season, striking out 24 batters in 20 innings.
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