Milwaukee @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 16, 2016 ) Milwaukee 0, Chi. Cubs 4

The Chicago Cubs own the best record in baseball, but still have issues to rectify as they kick off a four-game series against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers with a day-night doubleheader Tuesday. Despite the acquisition of closer Aroldis Chapman, Cubs manager Joe Maddon has concerns over the back end of his bullpen.

The Cubs were riding an 11-game winning streak until a pair of late collapses by the bullpen over the weekend against St. Louis, which piled up 11 eighth-inning runs to send Chicago to consecutive losses for the first time since July 25-26. "We just have to figure this out," Maddon told reporters following Sunday's 6-4 setback. "We just have to restructure this somehow." The starting rotation is holding up its end with an 8-0 record this month for Chicago, which sends Trevor Cahill and red-hot Jason Hammel to the mound in Tuesday's twin bill. The Brewers averted a sweep with a 7-5 victory over Cincinnati to improve to 5-8 in August despite a soft schedule featuring four straight series against NL also-rans.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), WPWR (Chicago)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Chase Anderson (7-10, 4.93 ERA vs. Cubs RH Jason Hammel (12-5, 2.90)

Anderson has made it through six innings in only one in his last 10 starts, but is in the midst of a five-start unbeaten streak after holding Atlanta to two runs in 5 1/3 innings on Sunday. Anderson has permitted a combined nine earned runs while going 3-0 during his recent hot spell, which came on the heels of a six-start winless drought. He beat the Cubs in mid-May, taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning of a 4-2 victory.

Hammel entered the All-Star break winless in six starts and came out of it looking like a front-running for the NL Cy Young Award. Hammel won for the fifth time in as many starts and stretch his scoreless innings streak to 15 by blanking the Los Angeles Angels on four hits over seven frames last time out. He won at Milwaukee with five innings of two-run ball on July 22 to improve to 9-1 with a 2.72 ERA against the Brewers.

WALK-OFFS

1. Chicago's starting rotation owns a 2.87 ERA - the lowest for the franchise since 1933.

2. Former NL MVP Braun is on a tear with eight homers and 19 RBIs in 11 games in August.

3. Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo is 16-for-45 this month.

PREDICTION: Cubs 6, Brewers 2