The Chicago Cubs will attempt to tie their NL division series with the Milwaukee Brewers Monday night, with starting pitching Shota Imanaga at the mound.
After coming off a nail-biter Wild Card series win against the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field, the Cubs fell early on to Milwaukee Saturday in Game 1. The Brewers took a 1-0 series lead on Saturday by scoring all their runs in the first two innings of a 9-3 victory.
At least two more games are scheduled for the series, with one guaranteed to take place back at the Friendly Confines.
As Game 2 approaches, here’s what to know.
When do the Cubs play next?
Game 2 of the Cubs and Brewers NL division series takes place Monday night at American Family Field in Milwaukee. First pitch is set for 8:08 p.m. Central.
Like Game 1, the game will air on TBS, and will stream on HBO Max.
Who is pitching?
The Cubs plan to start left-hander Imanaga (9-8, 3.73 ERA in regular season), while the Brewers will use lefty Aaron Ashby (5-2, 2.16) as an opener.
How likely is it that the Cubs can come back?
According to MLB’s Sarah Langs, teams that win Game 1 of a best-of-five series have gone on to win the series 72.4% of the time. That number has been slightly better under the Division Series’ current 2-2-1 format, with the winning team of Game 1 winning the series 73.9% of the time.
That being said, the Cubs did win the season series against the Brewers, and they had Major League Baseball’s best winning percentage in games coming off a loss, going 47-24 in those games according to Fangraphs.
When will the series shift to Wrigley Field?
The Cubs and Brewers will shift their series to Wrigley for Games 3 and 4, if necessary, and as things stand now, Game 3 is set for an afternoon start, with first pitch at 4:08 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.
Game 4, if necessary, is currently set to start at 8:08 p.m. Thursday, though that time could change depending on the outcomes of other series.