The Chicago Cubs will try to carry their record-breaking month of August into September when they host the Milwaukee Brewers in the second contest of a key four-game series on Tuesday night.
The Cubs hit a franchise-record nine home runs in a 17-3 win in the series opener on Monday, giving them 62 in August, a National League record for a calendar month.
“The quality of at-bats is pretty impressive right now,” said Cubs middle infielder Nico Hoerner, who blasted one of the nine home runs on Monday.
Alex Bregman had three homers for Chicago, making him the first Cubs player with multiple three-homer games in the same season since Aramis Ramirez in 2004.
Bregman, a veteran third baseman, also went deep three times in a 12-6 win at Washington on Aug. 12.
“Playing in front of this atmosphere, it’s a lot cooler doing it at home,” said Bregman, who has 23 homers and 77 RBIs this season. “Just happy with the team effort, honestly. Big win for us, and ready to go to bed and get back after it (Tuesday).”
The Cubs aren’t just living by the long ball, either. They entered the week leading the MLB with 576 walks and a .339 on-base percentage.
“Just a reflection of the depth of our lineup, and even beyond that, with the guys that are filling in for inevitable injuries that you have in a year,” Hoerner said.
Chicago (78-60) still trails the Brewers (85-53) by seven games for first place in the National League Central, but the teams will meet six more times over the next nine days.
The Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies (78-60) are tied for the first wild-card spot in the NL.
“We’ve got a ways to go, but those wins head-to-head mean a lot,” Hoerner said of the series vs. the Brewers. “Fortunately, we play them a good bit, so ball’s in our court to make something happen.”
The Brewers are paying attention.
“You’ve got to give the Cubs the credit they deserve,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “They’ve got one of the best offenses in baseball. They’ve got aptitude, they’re mature, and they swing the bat great.”
On Tuesday, the Cubs plan to start left-hander Matthew Boyd (8-3, 3.99 ERA). He has made five career starts against Milwaukee, going 2-2 with a 9.00 ERA.
The Brewers plan to counter with left-hander Robert Gasser (4-5, 4.59 ERA), who has been consistent since becoming a regular member of the Brewers’ rotation in mid-May. He most recently earned the win after holding the New York Mets to one run and six hits in 5 1/3 innings of an 8-1 victory last Wednesday.
Gasser made his only regular-season appearance against the Cubs two years ago — surrendering no runs and three hits over six innings in a no-decision — but also threw two innings of relief against them in Game 4 of the NLDS last October. He gave up two runs in the 6-0 loss.
The Brewers have employed a six-man rotation and a seven-man bullpen of late, so getting a lengthy outing from Gasser will be vital.
“When you’re using a six-man rotation because of all the young pitchers, and you only have seven in the ‘pen, and you’re on a 16-straight-games stretch, it is what it is,” Murphy said. “You have games like (Monday). Would it have mattered if it was 10-2 or 17-3? That’s not the difference. We’re not playing for run differential. We’re playing to try and win as many games as we can, and we’ve had a really young pitching staff all year, and there’s going to be days like (Monday).”
–Field Level Media
