Fresh off a dominant 3-0 Wild Card Game 3 win over the San Diego Padres, the Chicago Cubs' priority is now the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs' NL Division Series (NLDS) opponent is also the NL's top seed, in addition to being the NL Central champions. The Brewers won the division by five games. As Chicago prepares to face off against the Brew Crew, manager Craig Counsell waited to choose his NLDS Game 1 starter. According to ESPN's Jesse Rogers via X, formerly Twitter, Counsell needed to see his starters throw again before deciding on who got the start.
“Craig Counsell says he’s going to let his pitchers throw today, then determine a starter for tomorrow,” posted Rogers. “Matthew Boyd is in play, per a source. He started Game 1 of the wild card round.”
Boyd did indeed start the Wild Card opener and will now start the opener of the NLDS as well. Rogers confirmed the news later on Friday evening. It's a solid choice for Counsell, considering Boyd's performance this season in addition to his Wild Card start. Against the Padres on Tuesday, Boyd went 4.1 innings, allowing one earned run on four hits while striking out two. Now, the Cubs will need him to continue his strong form. Can the veteran lefty help Chicago capture a pivotal NLDS Game 1?
Cubs look to get past division rival Brewers in NLDS matchup
If Counsell follows the same schedule as the Wild Card round, then Boyd will be followed by the combination of opener Andrew Kittredge and Japanese starter Shota Imanaga, with Jameson Taillon going in Game 3. NL Rookie of the Year favorite Cade Horton will likely miss the rest of the season, even if the Cubs make it to the World Series. Colin Rea could also make a start or two.
The Brewers are certainly a familiar foe. The Cubs actually won the season series between the two, 7-6. That includes a four-game series win over the Brew Crew in their final regular-season matchup in August. However, that was almost two months ago. Both teams look a bit different from that set of games. Can Chicago's pitching staff once again lead them to a series win? If so, the team's first NL Championship Series appearance since 2017 will be a reality.
