Chicago @ Milwaukee preview

Chi. Cubs at Milwaukee

Last Meeting ( Aug 15, 2018 ) Milwaukee 4, Chi. Cubs 8

The Milwaukee Brewers are locked in a tight National League wild-card race, but their best shot to make a run in the NL Central comes this week. The Brewers host the division-leading Chicago Cubs for a three-game series starting Monday.

Javier Baez, Daniel Murphy and Anthony Rizzo all homered for the Cubs in Sunday’s 8-1 win at Philadelphia, moving Chicago a season-high 26 games above .500. The Cubs have won 10 of their last 12 to open a five-game lead over Milwaukee in the NL Central. The Brewers have claimed four of their last five to stay afloat in the division race and take over the top spot in the wild-card standings, which they lead by a half-game over St. Louis. Christian Yelich’s grand slam keyed a seven-run fifth inning that lifted Milwaukee to a 9-4 win at Washington on Sunday, giving the Brewers a fourth consecutive series win.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs LH Cole Hamels (9-9, 3.70 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Zach Davies (2-5, 5.23)

Hamels is 4-0 with a 0.69 ERA in six starts since joining the Cubs, who have won all six of his outings. The 34-year-old didn’t get a decision last time out despite striking out eight New York Mets over five scoreless innings. Hamels is 7-3 with a 3.64 ERA in 14 starts against the Brewers, most recently in 2016.

Davies has been sidelined by a rotator cuff injury and back tightness since May 29, limiting him to eight big-league starts in 2018. The 25-year-old dominated Single-A hitters in his last rehab start, needing only 85 pitches in a shutout. Davies is 5-5 with a 3.64 ERA in 12 starts against the Cubs and has allowed three runs over 11 2/3 frames across two meetings this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Baez on Sunday became the fifth Cubs player with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs in a season by his age-25 season, joining Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Ernie Banks and Ron Santo.

2. Yelich was 12-for-27 with four homers and 14 RBIs during the Brewers’ six-game road trip.

3. Rizzo has recorded multiple hits in five of his past nine games and nine of his last 18.

PREDICTION: Cubs 5, Brewers 2