Cubs vs Brewers Preview: Pitching Duel in Week 66

The Cubs came to Milwaukee hungry after losing 6-2 Friday night. Suzuki blasted a 409-foot home run to center. The Brewers' bats were louder, though—Contreras smashed a 449-foot shot, and Mitchell went deep too. Milwaukee's pitching kept Chicago's hitters off-balance most of the night. Now the Cubs are back at American Family Field Saturday with a 44-38 record. David Peterson takes the mound for Chicago. Can Peterson keep the Brewers' bats quiet? The Cubs need him sharp if they want to steal one on the road.

Milwaukee is on fire right now. The Brewers sit at 50-29 and won five straight games. Their bats exploded Friday—four different hitters went deep or drove in runs. Yelich doubled to left. Mitchell and Contreras each launched rockets over the fence. Hamilton tripled hard down the line. This offense is clicking at exactly the right time heading into July. Kyle Harrison pitches Saturday for the Brewers. He's posted a 5.16 ERA so far this season. Harrison needs to limit the damage early. If he can hold steady, Milwaukee's hot lineup will do what it does best—put runs on the board.

Chicago's rotation is shorthanded. Taillon, Cabrera, and Horton are all sidelined with injuries. The Cubs are leaning on veterans like Imanaga and Boyd to stay healthy. Matthew Boyd anchors this staff alongside Imanaga. Milwaukee has question marks too. Coleman Crow and Logan Henderson are recovering from injuries. But the Brewers can count on Jacob Misiorowski's raw stuff and Quinn Priester's steady arm. Trevor Megill closes games strong with 30 saves from last season. Both teams need their pitchers to stay in the lineup. The next three weeks before the All-Star break matter big time.