Brandon Glick

Well, the Cubs have been here before this October. Thanks to a few Wrigley W's, the series shifts back to Milwaukee for one final game. How are you feeling right now? Who do you want to see take the start? Can the offense hit another first-inning home run?

The Chicago Cubs barely escaped with a victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of the NLDS, having to use their hottest starting pitcher and all of their high-leverage relievers to do so. With Freddy Peralta slated to start Game 4, are the Cubs still on the ropes? View full video

Behind some impressive home runs and elite velocity, the Milwaukee Brewers have taken commanding control of the NLDS, putting the Chicago Cubs on the brink of elimination. View full video

The Milwaukee Brewers jumped out to a commanding lead in the early innings of a Game 1 NLDS victory, putting the Cubs on notice after they burned through some of their most important bullpen arms. View full video

I anticipate that Brock will do the "by the numbers" threads we've been trialing in the playoffs, but for now, we'll chat here. So, uh, the Cubs kinda need this game, huh? Imanaga can really become a folk hero tonight.

Garrett Cooper is a former MLB first baseman who spent eight years in the major leagues, including a brief 12-game stint with the Chicago Cubs. Born on Christmas Day in 1990, Cooper was a force at Auburn University, slashing .354/.481/.540 with seven home runs and 37 RBIs in 56 games. That was enough to coax the Milwaukee Brewers into drafting him in the sixth round of the 2013 MLB Draft, where Cooper would steadily climb the minor league ranks until 2017, when the New York Yankees traded pitcher Tyler Webb to acquire him. He played just 13 impressive games for the Yankees (.822 OPS) in 2017, getting traded that offseason the Miami Marlins in a deal that landed Michael King back in New York. Cooper had the best stretch of his career in South Florida, earning 4.5 bWAR in 427 games across parts of six seasons. He was even named an All-Star in 2022 as an injury replacement for Bryce Harper, though that would mark the high point of his tenure with the Marlins. Just a year later, the San Diego Padres acquired Cooper at the trade deadline, and he became a free agent after the 2023 season. That was when the Cubs inked Cooper to a one-year deal, and he made the Opening Day roster as a right-handed power bat option off the bench. His defensive versatility (he could play first base and both corner outfield spots) made him a strong fit for Craig Counsell's first roster on the North Side, though his time was always going to be limited as the Cubs awaited the return of Patrick Wisdom. In the end, Cooper only played in Chicago for the first month of the 2024 season, though he did exactly what Counsell asked of him in that time. In 41 plate appearances with the Cubs, Cooper slashed .270/.341/.432 with one home run and six RBIs, good for 0.2 fWAR and a 118 wRC+. Once Wisdom returned from injury, though, Cooper became superfluous as a weak-side platoon threat. The Cubs shipped him off to the Boston Red Sox, where he completely fell apart, posting a .455 OPS and 26 wRC+. Unfortunately, that would mark the end of his time in professional baseball. Cooper couldn't find his way onto a roster this year, ultimately deciding to retire at the end of the 2025 regular season. He posted a .759 OPS and hit 57 home runs in his eight-year career. View full player

Does anyone know when the game starts? This exhibition match is upsetting me

Following their Wild Card Round win over the San Diego Padres, the Chicago Cubs are set to face their division rival, the Milwaukee Brewers, for the right to play for the NL pennant. View full video

Thanks to some sterling middle-infield defense (and a generous strike three call in the ninth inning), the Cubs barely outlasted the Padres in a tense Wild Card series. View full video

I appreciate Matt Shaw. His at-bats are perfect for bathroom breaks

Did the Cubs win yet

It all comes down to this, folks. I know who I'm rooting for.

Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images Padres pitching dominated Cubs hitters on Wednesday, forcing a winner-take-all Game 3 in Chicago. The starters are right-handers Jameson Taillon for Chicago and Yu Darvish for San Diego. In 2025, Taillon posted a 3.68 ERA, and Darvish a 5.38 as an injury-plagued season limited him to only 15 starts. Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) tells a different story, though; Taillon has a 2025 FIP of 5.00, and Darvish has a 4.83 FIP. This game is unlikely to become a pitcher's duel, at least until both teams reach into their respective bullpens. Cubs Bullpen Usage Game 1 (Tuesday), Chicago’s relief corps delivered 4 2/3 perfect innings behind starter Matthew Boyd. The sequence was Daniel Palencia for 1 2/3, then Drew Pomeranz, Andrew Kittredge, and Brad Keller covering the final three innings. In Game 2 (Wednesday), the Cubs used an opener approach. Andrew Kittredge handled the 1st, followed by Shota Imanaga for bulk innings. After that, lefty Caleb Thielbar, righty Colin Rea, and lefty Taylor Rogers finished it off; their batters faced were Kittredge 5, Imanaga 17, Thielbar 4, Rea 6, Rogers 3. Kittredge is the only Cubs pitcher to appear in both games so far, and he is likely out for Thursday's game as a result. Padres Bullpen Usage Game 1, San Diego followed starter Nick Pivetta with Adrian Morejon, Mason Miller, and Jeremiah Estrada. In Game 2, Dylan Cease started and worked 3 2/3. Adrian Morejon covered 2 1/3 innings and threw 33 pitches, Mason Miller struck out the first five batters he faced and threw 27 pitches, and Robert Suarez recorded a four-out save to close a 3-0 win. It's likely that both Morejon and Miller will be unavailable for Thursday's game, but given the nature of the situation, it might be all hands on deck for Mike Shildt. Padres Batters Vs Jameson Taillon Jameson Taillon vs. San Diego Padres: Current Batters Table Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP 1 Xander Bogaerts R 28 28 6 3 0 0 2 0 5 .214 .214 .321 .536 0 0 0 0 1 2 Ryan O'Hearn L 17 16 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 .188 .235 .188 .423 0 0 0 0 1 3 Martín Maldonado R 16 14 4 1 0 1 1 1 2 .286 .375 .571 .946 0 0 1 1 1 4 Luis Arráez L 13 13 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 .231 .231 .231 .462 0 0 0 0 0 5 Jose Iglesias R 13 13 7 2 0 1 3 0 1 .538 .538 .923 1.462 0 0 0 0 0 6 Gavin Sheets L 11 10 3 1 0 0 0 1 3 .300 .364 .400 .764 0 0 0 0 0 7 Fernando Tatis Jr. R 6 6 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 .333 .333 .833 1.167 0 0 0 0 0 8 Manny Machado R 5 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000 .200 .000 .200 0 0 0 0 0 9 Jake Cronenworth L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 10 Freddy Fermin R 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 .500 .500 1.000 0 0 0 0 0 Provided by Stathead.com: Found with Stathead. See Full Results. Generated 10/2/2025. Cubs Batters Vs Yu Darvish Yu Darvish vs. Chicago Cubs: Current Batters Table Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP 1 Justin Turner R 27 24 5 1 0 1 1 3 10 .208 .296 .375 .671 0 0 0 0 0 2 Dansby Swanson R 22 19 3 1 0 0 1 3 6 .158 .273 .211 .483 0 0 1 0 0 3 Ian Happ B 14 13 2 0 0 0 2 1 6 .154 .214 .154 .368 0 0 0 0 0 4 Nico Hoerner R 11 10 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 .200 .273 .400 .673 0 0 0 0 0 5 Carson Kelly R 10 10 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 .300 .300 .300 .600 0 0 0 0 0 6 Kyle Tucker L 6 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .167 .167 .167 .333 0 0 0 0 0 7 Seiya Suzuki R 5 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 2 .250 .400 .500 .900 0 0 0 0 0 8 Michael Busch L 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 9 Pete Crow-Armstrong L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 Provided by Stathead.com: Found with Stathead. See Full Results. Generated 10/2/2025. View full article

A high-flying act by the Padres' pitching staff completely stifled the Cubs' offense, leaving Yu Darvish and Jameson Taillon as the final defenders of their teams' respective seasons. View full video

2:08pm start today folks! Go, Cubs, Go!

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images Chicago will treat today as a tandem day on the mound: Andrew Kittredge will open, then Shota Imanaga will follow with a bulk outing. Kittredge worked a clean eighth yesterday. This season, he has held right-handed hitters to a .690 OPS and left-handed hitters to a .541 OPS while his season FIP sits at 3.40. Over his last six starts, Imanaga has a 5.97 ERA with 12 home runs allowed in 34 2/3 innings, and he has allowed 31 homers in 144 2/3 frames this year. Imanaga Against Padres Hitters Shota Imanaga vs. San Diego Padres: Current Batters Table Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP 1 Luis Arráez L 10 9 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .111 .200 .111 .311 0 0 0 0 0 2 Xander Bogaerts R 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 3 Manny Machado R 9 9 1 0 0 1 1 0 6 .111 .111 .444 .556 0 0 0 0 0 4 Fernando Tatis Jr. R 9 8 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 .375 .444 .375 .819 0 0 0 0 0 5 Jake Cronenworth L 6 6 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 .333 .333 .500 .833 0 0 0 0 0 6 Martín Maldonado R 6 5 1 0 0 1 1 1 2 .200 .333 .800 1.133 0 0 0 0 1 7 Jose Iglesias R 4 4 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 .750 .750 1.000 1.750 0 0 0 0 0 8 Jackson Merrill L 3 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 .333 .333 .667 1.000 0 0 0 0 0 9 Freddy Fermin R 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .500 .000 .500 0 0 0 1 0 10 Gavin Sheets L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 Provided by Stathead.com: Found with Stathead. See Full Results. Generated 10/1/2025. Dylan Cease draws a conventional start for San Diego. His overall season included ups and downs, but his September trend was upward: in five starts last month, he recorded a 3.12 ERA with a 2.56 FIP. Cease Against Cubs Hitters Dylan Cease vs. Chicago Cubs: Current Batters Table Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP 1 Ian Happ B 24 21 1 0 0 0 0 3 10 .048 .167 .048 .214 0 0 0 0 1 2 Willi Castro B 23 23 5 0 0 1 2 0 8 .217 .217 .348 .565 0 0 0 0 0 3 Kyle Tucker L 14 12 4 1 0 0 1 2 3 .333 .429 .417 .845 0 0 1 0 0 4 Nico Hoerner R 13 9 2 1 0 0 0 3 2 .222 .462 .333 .795 0 0 1 1 0 5 Michael Busch L 9 8 2 0 0 2 4 1 4 .250 .333 1.000 1.333 0 0 0 0 0 6 Justin Turner R 8 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 .125 .125 .125 .250 0 0 0 0 0 7 Pete Crow-Armstrong L 5 4 2 1 0 0 1 1 1 .500 .600 .750 1.350 0 0 0 0 0 8 Dansby Swanson R 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 9 Reese McGuire L 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 10 Seiya Suzuki R 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 11 Matt Shaw R 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .500 .500 .500 1.000 0 0 0 0 0 Provided by Stathead.com: Found with Stathead. See Full Results. Generated 10/1/2025. Bullpen usage from yesterday shapes how both sides can deploy relief behind today’s starters. For Chicago, Matthew Boyd covered 4 1/3 innings before the bullpen recorded a postseason-record stretch by retiring 14 consecutive batters without a baserunner. Daniel Palencia handled 1 2/3 innings, followed by one inning each from Drew Pomeranz, Kittredge, and Brad Keller. San Diego used four relievers behind Nick Pivetta’s five innings. Mason Miller pitched the 7th inning. Adrian Morejon covered one inning. Jeremiah Estrada worked 2/3 of an inning, and Wandy Peralta recorded the final 1/3 of the 8th. That usage left the Padres’ late-inning group relatively fresh for today, with Cease on a standard starter’s workload. Matchup-wise, Kittredge’s opening inning will likely see him face Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Arraez, and Manny Machado. The Cubs used him yesterday in that same section of the order. Once Imanaga enters, Chicago can stagger right-on-left plate appearances with him and their bullpen cavalry. View full article