The Chicago Cubs will look to extend their success in the season series against visiting National League Central foe Milwaukee in the second game of a three-game set on Wednesday night.
Chicago, which leads the second-place Brewers by 6 1/2 games in the division, improved to 3-1 against Milwaukee this season with a 5-3 victory on Tuesday.
The Cubs have outscored the Brewers 21-9 in their four meetings this year, with Seiya Suzuki’s go-ahead, three-run homer in the fifth inning serving as the difference in the series opener Tuesday.
On pace for its highest number of wins since 2016, Chicago enjoys an offense that ranks second in total runs (390), behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (413). Suzuki launched his 18th homer of the season on Tuesday before Pete Crow-Armstong connected on his 19th of the year in the eighth.
“I think we’re seeing a center fielder that’s playing at as high of a level as I’ve ever seen a center fielder play,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said of Crow-Armstrong, 23. “I know we’re only about 70 games in, but how he’s playing is as good as I’ve seen.”
The manager was just as complimentary about Suzuki.
“Seiya is delivering. We’re getting guys on base in front of him, and he’s bringing them in,” Counsell said.
Suzuki’s 61 RBIs rank second in the majors behind the 63 by the New York Mets’ Pete Alonso. Crow-Armstong is tied for sixth at 58.
Paired with the impressive offensive production, the Cubs’ pitching staff has allowed just 10 runs across the past five games, lowering the team ERA to 3.56 — third best in the National League.
On Wednesday, Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon (7-3, 3.48 ERA) is scheduled to make his 15th start of the season while looking to extend a five-start winning streak.
Taillon has gone at least 6 1/3 innings in each of his past five outings. That includes last Thursday, when the veteran allowed two earned runs and struck out seven in a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
A longtime NL Central rival of Milwaukee as a member of the Pirates and Cubs, Taillon is 5-9 with a 3.13 ERA in 19 appearances (18 starts) against the Brewers.
For Milwaukee, rookie Jacob Misiorowski (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will make his second career start on Wednesday following five no-hit innings in his major league debut against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday.
Misiorowski, 23, struck out five and walked four in a 6-0 Milwaukee victory before leaving after rolling his ankle following his 81st pitch of the game.
Luckily for the Brewers, one of baseball’s top pitching prospects avoided a serious injury and will look to extend his impressive start to his big league career.
“I just cramped up, and that’s when I rolled it, so it’s all good,” Misiorowski said of his ankle. “I didn’t want to leave like that, and I felt like I could have kept going, but stuff like that happens.”
The 6-foot-7 starter’s top fastball reached 102.2 mph — one of 14 100 mph-plus pitches in his debut.
“I was very amped up and had to relax myself when I went out for the second inning,” Misiorowski said. “That’s how I throw. Every pitch, I’m trying to throw 100 percent. I think it’s one of those things I’ll have to work with.”
–Field Level Media
