The Milwaukee Brewers are one win away from making it to the NLCS for the first time since 2018 after they took a 7-3 win over the Chicago Cubs in Game 2 of the NLDS on Monday night. It was a home-run fest that gave the Brewers the victory, with Andrew Vaughn and Jackson Chourio both hitting two-out three-run home runs to tilt the game in Milwaukee's favor.
Nevertheless, the Brewers would want to avoid the start they had in Game 2 if they could. They allowed the Cubs to score three runs in the first inning, with Aaron Ashby allowing a three-run home run to Seiya Suzuki, and this put Milwaukee on the back foot from the get-go.
The responsibility to get the Brewers started on the right track from the mound in Game 3 will be falling on Quinn Priester's shoulders, with manager Pat Murphy naming the 25-year-old as his starter for that closeout game, as per Hunter Baumgardt of 97.3 The Game.
There was a chance for Priester to suit up in Game 2, as a few fans expected him to come out and relieve Ashby after he opened the game. Instead, the Brewers rolled with a bit of a bullpen game, with Jacob Misiorowski being the man to pitch the most innings for Milwaukee with three.
Priester ended up being one of the most reliable starters for the Brewers in 2025. He started in 24 of the 29 games he played for Milwaukee this year and recorded an ERA of 3.32 in 157.1 innings of work. Peripherals like fielding-independent pitching also support the numbers Priester put up for Milwaukee.
The 25-year-old was very good against the Cubs in his final two starts against them in 2025. He allowed just one run on the 21st of August in 4.1 innings, and he even earned the win on the 29th of July after allowing just two earned runs in 5.2 innings.
Brewers look to seal the deal in NLDS vs. Cubs
The Brewers are not about to let an opportunity to finish off the series get away from their fingertips. Priester certainly gives them the best chance to win on Wednesday, especially when he has prior experience facing the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Jose Quintana also looms as an emergency option for the Brewers; he was dealing with a calf injury to end the 2025 regular season, but he was named to the NLDS roster, which means he should be healthy enough to suit up. As to whether his services would be required, however, remains to be seen.
