Cubs @ Brewers: Series Thread (Games 10-12)

The Chicago Cubs (4-5) make their first trip northward to take on Milwaukee (5-4) for the second time this season. Having dropped 2 out of 3 in Pittsburgh, the Cubs will try to push and elbow their way to middle or front of the NL central pack. Benches cleared-ish in the last Brewers vs Cubs series, so don't be surprised to see some literally pushing and elbowing if Contreras finds himself on the receiving end of a beaning again. See below for matchups.

Game 1, Monday, April 12, 6:40 pm central

CHC: RHP Adbert Alzolay (0-1, 7.20 ERA)

MIL: RHP Freddy Peralta (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

Alzolay was on the losing end of this matchup on April 6. He allowed 4 earned runs on a 3-run homer to Trais Shaw in the 1st inning and a solo homerun to Narvaez n the 4th. The Shaw homer came on a 1-0 curve and Alzolay followed it with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning. It was an uneven performance overall, but he did go 5 innings and struck out 4 while getting a 5-1 grounder to fly ball ratio.

Peralta fully shut down the Cubs offense for five innings in that game, striking out 8 and allowing only 1 hit in 5 innings. He did walk 4, but the Cubs hitters looked befuddled by his high-spin fastball. Kris Bryant had the lone hit of the game, a double. Brent Suter pitched 3 hitless innings in relief and Boxberger finished things up, with little of note there aside from plunking Contreras on the upper arm (a day after Willson had taken one to the helmet). With the quick rematch, perhaps Cubs hitters will have a better feel for their approaches against Peralta.

Game 2, Tuesday, April 13, 6:40 pm central

CHC: RHP Kyle Hendricks (0-1, 3.00 ERA)

MIL: RHP Brandon Woodruff (0-0, 2.45 ERA)

Game 2 of the series is another rematch. Last time, neither Hendricks nor Woodruff factored in the decision. Hendricks rebounded from a frustrating opening day by striking out 6, walking one, and allowing 4 hits and no runs in 6 innings. Workman took the loss in the 10th inning, following three innings of 1-run relief from Mills, Chafin, and Kimbrel.

Woodruff didn't win the game but had the best pitching performance of the day last time out. He struck out 8 in 7 scoreles innings and allowed only one hit while managing not to hit any batsmen. The only piece missing from Woodruff's game at this point is durability. Due to health or circumstance, he's never made more than 22 starts in a season. If he can pass that mark in 2021, more fans outside the NL Central might finally learn who he is.

Game 3, Wednesday, April 14, 12:40 pm central

CHC: RHP Jake Arrieta (2-0, 2.25 ERA)

MIL: RHP Corbin Burnes (0-1, 0.73 ERA)

Jake Arrieta has been the best Cubs starter so far, following a solid first start with a 6-inning win in which he worked around 7 hits and 3 walks to allow only 2 earned runs. He managed that in somewhat surprising fashion, collecting only one double play and getting 8 outs in the air while striking out only 4. Still, it seems like a decent snapshot of reasonable hopes for Arrieta in 2021.

Corbin Burnes has been lights-out in his first two starts of 2021, striking out 20 while walking 0 and allowing only 2 hits in 12.1 innings pitched. Cubs hitters don't have extensive history against him, with only Javy having seen him 10 times (he has a homerun as his lone hit in that small sample).