The final weekend of the season can be a tricky one for managers, as they try to determine which guys should play, and which should get a rest ahead of the postseason. These are the sort of decisions that Joe Madden is going to have to make with the Cubs, as they head to Milwaukee on Friday to face the Brewers over the weekend where Chicago is a clear MLB betting favorite.
A Quick Look at the Expert MLB Pick On Chicago Cubs vs Milwaukee Brewers & TV Info
Date: Friday, October 02, 2015 Time: 8:10PM Venue: Miller Park Opening Line: Cubs -200
Clinched! Your 2015
Chicago Cubs are heading to the postseason! #FlyTheW pic.twitter.com/Q24R9ZrVuB
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 26, 2015
Perhaps the biggest decision facing the Cubs (93-65) is how long they will leave Jake Arrieta in for in this game. He will definitely be the starter in the Wild Card game in Pittsburgh next week, and they will want to be sure that he gets a good work in without overtaxing himself. If the Cubs can get out to an early lead here, I really don’t see Arrieta going more than 4 innings. Heck, even if they don’t get the lead, why leave your top guy in there in a game that is essentially meaningless. The real goal of this series is to get out of it without any injuries or other concerns to deal with, because the truth is that the real season begins next week with a single game in Pittsburgh. Jake Arrieta (21-6, 1.82) has given up just 4 earned runs in his last 10 starts.
As the Cubs look ahead to next week, the Brewers (68-90) are looking ahead to next season, and they have to be excited about the future. This is a team that has taken full advantage of the September expanded roster, and what they have shown is a group of young prospects who look set to take the big leagues by storm. This is a team that is actually reminiscent of the Cubs in the talent level that they have among their young guys. If the Brewers are willing to spend a little to bring in a couple of veteran free agent guys in the offseason, this could well be a dark horse team in 2016. Ariel Pena (2-0, 3.91 ERA) will look to make it 3 unbeaten games in a row with this start.
