The clock is ticking and time is running short for the Chicago Cubs to overtake the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central.
Chicago (78-61) enters Wednesday eight games back of the major league-best Brewers (86-53) in the divisional race with 23 remaining after splitting the first two games of their four-game set at Wrigley Field.
The series continues with Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski taking on Chicago left-hander David Peterson on Wednesday night.
Christian Yelich and Joey Ortiz hit two-run homers to help lift the Brewers to a 9-4 win on Tuesday. Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, William Contreras and Ortiz each had two hits for Milwaukee, which bounced back after losing the series opener 17-3 on Monday.
“We might not be the most talented. We might not be the deepest,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “We might not be the most experienced. But we’re committed. And when you’re committed and respond the way we did…It shows that this team can be special.”
Chicago led 3-1 on Tuesday before Milwaukee pulled ahead with four runs on four hits in the sixth inning. After the game, Cubs manager Craig Counsell bemoaned his team’s defensive play during the pivotal inning.
“These were very difficult plays, but we have to play great defense,” Counsell said. “We played good defense tonight, but against the best team in baseball, you’ve got to play great defense. We got our ball on a ball on a bunch of balls, but we didn’t make plays, and that’s the difference in (those) innings.”
The Cubs dig in against Misiorowski (14-5, 1.73 ERA), who earned his third straight win last Wednesday. The flame-throwing right-hander allowed two runs on two hits over six innings in an 8-2 road victory over the New York Mets.
Misiorowski, 24, battled condensation on the mound following an afternoon of rain in the New York area. The conditions may have contributed to Misiorowski’s slightly lower than usual velocity.
“He’s obviously in late August like so many other pitchers, but I think he’ll rise to the occasion the rest of the season,” Murphy said. “He did (Wednesday). Because he didn’t have 101, we think he’s tired. I bet he had 101, 102 when he wanted it, but slipping and sliding, you don’t risk doing that. I thought he learned a valuable pitching lesson and did well.”
Pete Crow-Armstrong is hitless in nine at-bats with seven strikeouts against Misiorowski, who is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA in four career starts versus the Cubs.
Peterson (7-7, 5.11) yielded two runs over five innings in a no-decision against the Cincinnati Reds last Friday. He departed with a one-run lead before Trent Thornton allowed five runs in the sixth.
“I thought David did a nice job,” Counsell said. “There were some baserunners and there was some traffic, but he navigated it and he made some big pitches, especially early in the game with multiple guys on. He walks out of the game with two runs and gives us a chance to win, for sure.”
Contreras is 2 for 11 against Peterson, who is 4-1 with a 3.44 ERA in seven career games (six starts) versus Milwaukee.
–Field Level Media
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