Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs Series Preview

The Brewers continue their home stand on Friday as the Chicago Cubs come to town for a weekend three-game series. Both teams will enter the series fresh from an off day as well as an even 5-5 over each of their last ten games. However the Brewers come into Friday on a two game winning streak, while the Cubs will look to end their two game losing streak.

Team Snapshots:

Brewers -home:

Record (32-22), 1st in NL Central, 2.5 game lead over St. Louis

Cubs -away:

Record (19-32), 5th in NL Central, 11.5 games backof Milwaukee

Season Series: 3-3

Key Stat: 1.68

That is the ERA of Sunday's starting pitcher for the Cubs, Jeff Samardzija, which is good for second best in the majors although he has only a 1-4 record to show for it.

Brewers outlook:

The Brewers have seen good offensive production in recent games thanks to a new lineup that has featured Jean Segura as the leadoff man with Ryan Braun stepping out of the three-spot in favor of Jonathan Lucroy. This lineup has helped produce six runs or more in five of the last six games.

Cubs outlook:

The Cubs scored eight runs in the first seven innings of their last series against the San Francisco Giants, but were held scoreless in the remaining 20 innings. Tim Lincecum of the Giants threw five no-hit innings in the final game of the series.

What to watch for:

Sunday's game will be billed as the classic pitchers duel as Jeff Samardzija (1-4, 1.68 ERA) takes the hill against Kyle Lohse (6-1, 2.92 ERA). Lohse won the last matchup between the two, allowing three Cubs runs in seven innings of a 4-3 Brewers victory on May 16th.

Word on the Street:

Cubs:

Down on the Farm: Javier Baez 11-game hitting streak snapped, Kris Bryant on fire

Brewers:

Brewers' Braun making smooth transition to right