The Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs faced off on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at Wrigley Field in the first of a three-game series. The Cubs, leading the NL Central with a 44-28 record, hosted the Brewers, who were in second place at 39-34, trailing by 5.5 games.
The game featured a pitching matchup between Milwaukee's Chad Patrick (3-6, 3.25 ERA) and Chicago's Ben Brown (3-5, 5.71 ERA). Oddsmakers favored the Cubs, with a moneyline of -149 compared to the Brewers' +124. The over/under was set at 9 runs.
Looking at the team's performance, the Cubs have been strong at home with a 23-12 record, boasting a collective batting average of .254, which ranks fourth in the National League. The Brewers, on the other hand, held a 16-19 record on the road with a team ERA of 3.79, placing them seventh in the NL.
Key players for the Cubs included Seiya Suzuki, who has 18 doubles, two triples, 17 home runs, and 58 RBIs. Pete Crow-Armstrong has also been contributing, going 9 for 41 with a double and three home runs in his last 10 games. For the Brewers, Sal Frelick has been a standout performer, hitting .294 with eight doubles, three triples, four home runs, and 26 RBIs. Jackson Chourio has also been productive, hitting 10 for 40 with two triples and two home runs over his last 10 games.
In their previous 10 games, both teams had a .500 record. The Cubs were 5-5, with a .207 batting average and a 2.70 ERA, being outscored by one run. Similarly, the Brewers were 5-5, batting .220 with a 3.00 ERA, and were outscored by four runs.
Several players were on the injury list. For the Cubs, Miguel Amaya (oblique), Porter Hodge (oblique), Eli Morgan (elbow), Shota Imanaga (leg), Javier Assad (oblique), and Justin Steele (elbow) were all sidelined. The Brewers were missing Brandon Woodruff (shoulder), Connor Thomas (elbow), and Blake Perkins (shin). Daz Cameron returned from paternity leave for the Brewers and was activated for the game.
Chad Patrick of the Brewers has had an impressive rookie campaign, with a 3.25 ERA and 1.26 WHIP through 15 appearances. His underlying analytics, including expected ERA, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate, suggest that his success is likely to continue. Ben Brown of the Cubs, after a promising 2024 season, has had a somewhat disappointing start to the current season, though his underlying numbers suggest he hasn't been significantly worse.
Some analysts predicted that the Brewers, with Patrick on the mound, had a good chance of winning, citing Patrick's strong performance and favorable analytics. Others pointed to the Cubs' overall strength and home-field advantage as reasons for their favored status.
