The Chicago Cubs shut down the Milwaukee Brewers Thursday night at Wrigley Field in Game 4, pushing their NL Division series back to American Family Field for a decisive Game 5.
Ian Happ in the first inning set the tone for the night, with a three-run homer. By the ninth, the Cubs had won 6-0. For the first time in the series, a team was held without a first inning run.
“The atmosphere was amazing tonight,” Cubs’ starting pitcher Matthew Boyd said, after the game. “We’ve got the best fans in baseball, and it was electric. We’ve been feeding off them since April, but tonight was another level, and that was super special.”
The Cubs were on the brink of elimination after they dropped the first two games in Milwaukee. But they held on for a 4-3 victory Wednesday before making the most of a sharp performance by Boyd and four relievers in Game 4.
Next up comes the best-of-five series Saturday night. The winner will on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.
Here’s what to know.
When do the Cubs play next? Timing for Game 5 vs. Brewers
Chicago Cubs
With the series now tied at 2-2, Game 5 of the Cubs-Brewers will be at American Family Field in Milwaukee, and starts at 7:08 p.m. Central time.
It will air on TBS, with streaming available on HBO Max.
How often does a team erase a 2-0 series deficit?
According to ESPN’s Stats and Info, there had been 90 teams in MLB postseason history to lose the first two games of a best-of-five series.
Of those, 17 teams managed to force a Game 5, and of those, 10 ultimately won the deciding fifth game.
This postseason, the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies both faced 2-0 deficits in their series, and while both were able to force a Game 4, both lost.
Milwaukee has a 97-65 record overall and a 52-29 record in home games. The Brewers are 76-24 in games when they record eight or more hits.
Chicago is 92-70 overall and 42-39 on the road. The Cubs have hit 223 total home runs to rank third in the NL.
What happens if the Cubs win?
If the Cubs advance, they would face the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with Game 1 of the National League Championship Series which takes place at 6:08 p.m. Monday night at Dodger Stadium.
Game 2 would then be played Tuesday night, with Game 3 shifting back to Wrigley Field on Thursday, October 16.
Who will start for the Cubs?
Neither team has named a starting pitcher for Game 5 of the series, though the Cubs could turn to Shota Imanaga, who pitched in Game 2 in Milwaukee and would be in line to pitch on regular rest if the Cubs turn to him.
Colin Rea could also get some action in that game, or the Cubs could go with a bullpen game.
As for the Brewers, they went with Peralta in Game 4 on Thursday night, meaning that they’ll either go with a bullpen game for Game 5, or will have Jacob Misiorowski pitch in the contest.
