Chicago @ Milwaukee preview
Miller Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 23, 2015 ) Milwaukee 4, Chi. Cubs 1
Jake Arrieta gets one more chance to cement the greatest second half in major-league history and make a final case for the National League Cy Young Award when the Chicago Cubs right-hander gets the ball Friday to open a three-game road series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Arrieta looks to add to his league-best win total and help the Cubs maintain hope of home-field advantage in next week’s National League wild-card game.
Chicago has won five straight to pull within two games of Pittsburgh for the top wild-card spot and holds the tiebreaker over the Pirates for the right to host Wednesday’s wild-card game. Arrieta is in line to start that game, and the site might not matter – he is 12-1 with a 1.68 ERA in 17 road starts this season. While the postseason awaits the Cubs, the three-game weekend series is the end of a long season for the Brewers, who had a three-game winning streak snapped with a 3-1 loss at San Diego on Thursday. Regardless of the outcome this weekend, Milwaukee is assured of its worst record since 2004 and will finish fourth in the NL Central.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Jake Arrieta (21-6, 1.82 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Ariel Pena (2-0, 3.91)
Arrieta has recorded 19 consecutive quality starts, and the Cubs haven’t lost a game he started since July 25. The 29-year-old has put together a historic second half, going 11-1 with a 0.80 ERA since the All-Star break, and has not allowed a run in eight of his last 11 outings. Arrieta has struck out 20 and allowed four hits in 16 scoreless innings over his last two starts, including a three-hit shutout of the Brewers on Sept. 22.
Pena was pressed into the starting rotation over the final month of the minor-league season and performed well, earning an audition as a starter at the next level. The 26-year-old Dominican has been consistent in four big-league starts, going five innings and allowing three runs or fewer in each. Walks have been a problem – he issued 10 in his first three starts for the Brewers – but he granted only one free pass in his last start Friday at St. Louis.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cubs OF Austin Jackson has eight RBIs in the past two games after recording only two in his first 24 contests for Chicago.
2. Brewers 3B Hernan Perez is 5-for-8 with a run and two RBIs in the past two contests.
3. Chicago starting pitchers have allowed one or zero runs in five straight games.
PREDICTION: Cubs 5, Brewers 1