After making up two games of ground in a day against their National League Central rivals, the Chicago Cubs will look to take the five-game series against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night.
Chicago beat Milwaukee 6-4 and then 4-1 to sweep a day-night doubleheader on Tuesday but still sits seven games behind the MLB-leading Brewers in the NL Central.
Starring in both games for the Cubs was trade deadline acquisition Willi Castro, whom the club will need to produce at a higher clip in the homestretch. Castro hit a three-run shot in the first game on Tuesday — his first home run since coming over from Minnesota last month — and threw out Brice Turang at home from right field in the nightcap to thwart a late Milwaukee rally.
Castro is hitting just .150 (6-for-40) with the Cubs but had his best day for the club in a crucial two-game doubleheader.
“It’s been a rough past two weeks, but we showed what we can do in the doubleheader,” Castro said. “We have a great team, we have a great staff. … It’s been tough for me since I got here. I know I haven’t produced as I know how. But it’s OK. Whenever they give me an opportunity, I will get the job done.”
After a 5-8 start to August, the Cubs have won four of their last five games and hold a two-game lead over the San Diego Padres for the top wild-card spot in the NL.
Hoping to continue the momentum in Game 4 of the series — which Chicago leads 2-1 — Colin Rea (9-5, 3.99 ERA) will make his 26th appearance (22nd start) on Wednesday for the Cubs, facing his former team for the second time this season.
Last time out, the veteran right-hander allowed one run on three hits across five innings in a no-decision on Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs lost 3-2. Rea, who pitched in 59 games for the Brewers from 2021-24, is 0-1 with an 8.59 ERA in two career starts against them. He faced Milwaukee on July 29, allowing four runs in four innings in a 9-3 loss.
The Brewers have dropped three of four since winning 14 consecutive games, a single-season franchise record. Milwaukee also has lost back-to-back games for the first time since July 25-26.
The team’s rookie phenom, Jacob Misiorowski (4-1, 3.89 ERA), is slated to make his ninth start of the season on Wednesday and second since coming off the 15-day injured list due to a left tibia contusion. The 23-year-old All Star suffered his worst outing thus far against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, surrendering five runs on four hits in just 1 1/3 innings in a game the Brewers rallied to win 10-8.
“His delivery wasn’t great, the mound wasn’t to his liking,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said of Misiorowski. “He was emotional, but that’s part of him growing up and learning how to get by, even though he didn’t feel right or wasn’t in sync.”
Misiorowski faced the Cubs for the only time on July 28, allowing three runs (two earned) over four innings in a no-decision. The Brewers won 8-4.
–Field Level Media
