CHICAGO – After meeting 19 times during the 162-game season, the Chicago Cubs and the visiting Milwaukee Brewers will clash one more time Monday at Wrigley Field to decide the National League Central championship.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, ESPN
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The winner will claim the division title and the top seed in the NL playoffs, while the loser will host the Colorado Rockies or Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Wild Card Game Tuesday.
The Cubs took over sole possession of first place on Aug. 1 and led the Brewers by as many as five games in early September, but Milwaukee closed the regular season on a tear.
The Brewers went 19-7 in September and won their final seven games, putting up double-digit run totals three times during the streak. Neither team will be surprised in game 163 - the Cubs lead the season series 11-8, but the Brewers won four of six meetings in September.
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"It's good to know what you'll be facing," Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber told reporters. "You've seen these guys multiple times. It's up to us to be able to execute. I think the common theme in playoff games is execution. That makes the little things matter. I'm sure that's what it's going to be (Monday) - little things will matter, and it'll be a fun game."
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers TBD vs. Cubs LH Jose Quintana (13-11, 4.09 ERA)
Brewers manager Craig Counsell didn’t immediately announce a starter Sunday. Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (15-8, 3.56 ERA) is up next in the rotation, but the Brewers could opt to save him for the Wild Card Game or the NL Division Series opener. Counsell opted for a bullpen game in a critical contest at St. Louis last week and could do the same Monday.
Despite an uneven campaign, Quintana has matched a career-high for wins. The 29-year-old Colombian’s last win came against the Brewers on Sept. 11, but he has allowed two or fewer runs in seven of his last eight outings. Quintana is 4-1 with a 2.17 ERA in six starts against Milwaukee this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Chicago 2B Daniel Murphy is 16-for-42 during a 10-game hitting streak, his longest since joining the Cubs.
2. Brewers CF Lorenzo Cain is 10-for-31 during a seven-game hitting streak.
3. Cubs INF Javier Baez is the first player in club history with at least 40 doubles, 30 homers, and 20 stolen bases in a season.
PREDICTION: Cubs 5, Brewers 3