The Chicago Cubs will face the Milwaukee Brewers seven times in the next 10 days, and the division could be decided in that stretch.
The Cubs trail the Brewers, who have the best record in all of baseball, by eight games going into this stretch of seven matchups in 10 days. The Brewers have a commanding lead, but if the Cubs can find a way to win a majority of the next seven matchups, the door to win the division would remain open. However, multiple series losses to the Brewers would essentially seal their fate.
The Brewers currently lead the season series against the Cubs 4-2. If the Brewers go 3-4 in the next seven matchups, they will win the season series, securing a tiebreaker if the Cubs come ack to tie the division. However, the Cubs will be looking to do more than just win the season series. This stretch is their best opportunity to gain ground on the Brewers.
The Cubs have lost three straight series going into the four-game series against the Brewers at Wrigley Field. Meanwhile, the Brewers have won five straight series.
The Brewers are fighting for the No. 1 seed in the National League, holding a three-game lead over the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Cubs could help both of those teams out by handing the Brewers some losses in the next 10 days.
Realistically speaking, the Cubs would need to sweep the Brewers in the next seven games to really make the division race interesting. However, winning five of the next seven games would certainly make the Brewers sweat.
The Cubs have an elite offense, but their bullpen and tendency to give up home runs are a problem. Luckily for the Cubs, the Brewers hit fewer home runs than any team in baseball. Unfortunately for the Cubs, their pitching staff is capable of shutting down any offense, and the Cubs are scheduled to see three of their best starters. Logan Henderson, Kyle Harrison and Jacob Misiorowski will all start games in this series.
The Cubs are not coming into this series playing their best baseball, but they have no choice but to turn it around if they want to come back and win the division. If they can't, the National League may be going through Milwaukee again.