(Cue the Theme from Rocky) Two of the three best teams in the National League square off tonight in Milwaukee for the first of four to close out the month of July. While the next four games will not decide the division with two months left to play in the season, both the Cubs and Brewers figure to leave nothing on the field between tonight and Thursday.
Both managers set their rotations out of the break for this series, both markets are so fired up, the Bears and the Packers first week of Training Camp has become second page news….even the little story surrounding a certain signal caller will be brushed a side for the next four days.
So while both teams try to underplay the series, here is a little for the Faithful as the clock ticks down for the first of three big match-ups between the Cubs and Brewers over the final 57 games of the season…. Rocky
http://chicagocubsonline.com/audio/Theme From Rocky – Gonna Fly Now.mp3
The Brewers have the upper hand playing 7 of the last 10 games of the year at home against the Cubs. And while the Cubs have struggled on the road this season, in recent years they have played quite well in what has become known as “Wrigley Field North“.
Both teams are not playing their best ball right now. The Brewers had won 8 straight until losing 2 of 3 to the Astros at home over the weekend and the Cubs have won just 4 of their last 10. Both starting staffs have performed very well over the past week, but the Brewers continue to mash home run after home run. The Brewers were unbeatable at home, like the Cubs, but are 0-2-1 in their last three series at Miller Park.
For their part, the Cubs have shown flashes since the break of what led them to have one of the best records in baseball for the majority of the first half. The Cubs offense has yet to show any consistency while their starting pitching has been just short of dominating for the last 10 games.
Depending on which expert you listen to or read, either team is favored to win the upcoming series….and the division. So while the Cardinals will receive a boost with the return of Chris Carpenter on Wednesday while they face the Braves, the other two teams vying for the crown in the central will duke it out over the next four days….
If any player on either roster can ‘get up‘ for this series, they should probably find a new profession.
ESPN’s Baseball Tonight on the Cubs-Brewers Series