Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers preview, Saturday 8/27, 6:10 CT

Today’s roster move: Here

Saturday notes...

• CENTRALLY GOOD: The Cubs are 29-29 against NL Central teams this year and have won the season series over the Brewers, leading 10-7 with two games remaining.
• LOTS OF CUBS: When Manuel Rodriguez appeared Friday night, he became the 58th Cub this season. Of those, 34 who have made their Cubs debuts. The 58 players are tied for second-most in the majors this season with the Angels. Only the Pirates (60) have used more in 2022.
• IT’S THE PITCHING: Cubs pitching has posted a 3.04 ERA (113 earned runs in 334⅓ innings) in the team’s last 37 games since July 16, the second-lowest ERA in the majors during that span, behind the Dodgers (2.55). Cubs pitching in this stretch has walked 120, struck out 316 and held opponents to a .237 BA (299-for-1,260).
• THE CLOSE ONES: The Cubs have played in 42 one-run games this season, fourth-most in the majors. Nine of those games for the Cubs have been against the Brewers, the most against any one opponent. The Cubs are 7-2 in one-run games against the Brewers.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Brewers lineup:

Drew Smyly, LHP vs. Brandon Woodruff, RHP

USA TODAY NETWORK

USA TODAY NETWORK

Drew Smyly threw seven outstanding innings against the Cardinals this past Monday at Wrigley Field, allowing just one run. (Unfortunately, that was a home run by Albert Pujols that was the difference in a 1-0 loss.)

In four starts in August: 1.13 ERA, 0.917 WHIP, 23 strikeouts in 24 innings. The only outing he’s had against Milwaukee this year was May 30 at Wrigley Field, where he threw three no-hit innings before leaving with an oblique injury that kept him out for six weeks.

The Cubs scored two runs in 5⅔ innings off Brandon Woodruff last Sunday at Wrigley Field. Earlier this year they pounded him for seven runs in just 3⅔ innings. Woodruff has been good this year, but not quite as good as he was last year.

Here’s hoping the familiarity with Woodruff, having just seen him, will help the Cubs tonight.

Statcast

Statcast

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. Here’s a list of providers currently carrying Marquee.

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Brewers site Brew Crew Ball. If you do go there to interact with Brewers fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2022 Game Thread procedure will be like last years, similar to what we’ve used for Spring Training.

You’ll find the game preview posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game, including the First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread, as well as the recap when it’s published. The recap will also live on the front page as a separate post.

You will also be able to find the preview, First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread in the box marked “Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page (you can also find them in this section link). The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

The First Pitch thread will post at five minutes before game time, then an overflow thread at 90 minutes after the scheduled game time.

Discuss amongst yourselves.