After splitting the first two games of this four-game series, the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs continue on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field.
Chicago erupted for a franchise-record nine home runs on Monday in a 17-3 rout, with Alex Bregman going deep three times.
Milwaukee answered on Tuesday with a 9-4 victory after falling behind 3-0.
Christian Yelich hit the go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth, while Joey Ortiz added a two-run shot in the eighth.
The victory improved Milwaukee to 86-53 and restored its NL Central lead over Chicago to eight games. The Cubs sit at 78-61 and remain firmly in the National League playoff race, one game behind Philadelphia for the top Wild Card spot.
Jacob Misiorowski, the overwhelming favorite to win the National League Cy Young Award, takes the hill for the Brewers. The right-hander is 14-5 with an MLB-best 1.73 ERA and 222 strikeouts.
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago Brewers betting picks and predictions
Brewers -1.5 (+100)
Misiorowski allowed two runs on just two hits over six innings while striking out six in an 8-2 victory over the Mets in his last start and Milwaukee is 16-6 when he starts as the moneyline favorite.
More importantly, Misiorowski has already dominated the Cubs twice this season. He is 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA, allowing just one earned run and five hits over 12 innings while striking out 16.
Chicago counters with David Peterson, who has revitalized his season since joining the Cubs in late June. The left-hander is 4-1 with a 3.90 ERA since the trade after struggling with the Mets.
Peterson was even better in August, posting a 2.83 ERA over six appearances, including five starts. He has also enjoyed success against Milwaukee, allowing two runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings to earn an 8-2 victory in his Cubs debut on June 27.
Jackson Chourio has been especially dangerous for Milwaukee lately, collecting 13 hits, three home runs and seven RBIs over his last 10 games.
Yelich broke through Tuesday with his 10th home run of the season, while Ortiz added his eighth.
The Brewers have won five of eight against the Cubs this season, including a three-game sweep at Wrigley in May.
Misiorowski will have to tame a Cubs lineup that set a National League record with 62 home runs in August.
Chicago also led the NL with 178 runs and a .271 batting average for the month, while its .514 slugging percentage led MLB.
Seiya Suzuki is batting .375 with four doubles, two home runs and nine walks over his last 10 games.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, currently the overwhelming favorite to win the National League MVP, is batting .289 with six home runs and 11 RBIs over his last 10 games.
He did, however, go 0-for-4 with three strikeouts Tuesday.
That offensive firepower makes laying 1.5 runs uncomfortable, but Misiorowski gives Milwaukee a significant starting-pitching advantage.
Take the Brewers to win by multiple runs.
Total under 8.5 runs (-120)
Monday and Tuesday produced 20 and 13 combined runs, but the pitching matchup points toward a much different game next.
Misiorowski has surrendered more than two runs just six times in 25 starts.
Chicago has one of baseball's hottest offenses, but this is a dramatic step up in pitching quality from what the Cubs saw Tuesday.
Peterson's 5.11 season ERA is also misleading considering his improvement since joining Chicago. He has allowed just four earned runs over his last 11 innings and posted a 2.83 ERA in August.
Expect a much different game than the first two contests of this series so take the under on 8.5 runs.
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Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago Brewers odds
Milwaukee Brewers | -160 |
Chicago Brewers | +135 |
Run Line | Brewers -1.5 |
Total | O/U 8.5 |
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago Brewers player props
Player Home Run Odds
Jackson Chourio (MIL Brewers) | +400 |
Gary Sanchez (MIL Brewers) | +450 |
William Contreras (MIL Brewers) | +525 |
Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHI Cubs) | +310 |
Seiya Suzuki (CHI Cubs) | +500 |
Michael Busch (CHI Cubs) | +450 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
