It’s a cliche about playoff series that start on the road, but it’s nevertheless true: if you can just split those games at the other team’s place, that’s a perfectly good outcome.
The Cubs can do that tonight, regardless of how ugly things were in that first game. Win tonight, and Saturday becomes merely one half of a good start to the series.
Shōta Imanaga will get the start tonight, without the benefit of an opener. He faced the Brewers three times this year, and had two good starts and one great start. He’s coming off what would’ve been a good, albeit brief, Wild Card Series appearance if he’d been pulled when he obviously should’ve been pulled. With a very well-rested bullpen and an off-day tomorrow, Craig Counsell will have the flexibility to remove Imanaga as soon as one time through the order if he wants to be extremely aggressive. That is to say, if Imanaga can give the Cubs even three scoreless innings to open the game, you could take it if you had to. My guess is that the hope is more like five innings, of course.“I think he’s a fierce competitor … he’s trying to figure out a way to get you out, he’s trying to figure out a way to get better.”Craig Counsell on Shota Imanaga. pic.twitter.com/IcjQiuPb5Y
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) October 5, 2025 On the other side, the Brewers will go with an opener, lefty Aaron Ashby, who was outstanding this season (2.16 ERA over 66.2 innings, peripherals to match). Although he does have traditional splits, he’s been sufficiently good against both lefties and righties that I’m not sure you totally overhaul your lineup because of his presence (he is, in that regard, a really good choice for an opener against the Cubs). Quinn Priester figures to follow Ashby, and he has faced the Cubs three times this year: one terrible start, one brief, and kinda meh start, and one decent start. Hopefully the Cubs can get him again this time. Priester, 25, was really good for the Brewers this year, by the way, after they acquired him from the Red Sox early in the season. You may recall that the deal looked pretty lopsided on paper when it was made, but the top prospect in the deal, Yophery Rodriguez, didn’t really do much this season. The Red Sox also got John Holobetz, a 23-year-old pitching prospect who had some success at Double-A, and the 33rd overall pick in the draft (Marcus Phillips, who did not make his pro debut after the draft). Pretty sure that’s a deal the Brewers make 10 out of 10 times in hindsight, and they deserve a lot of credit for paying an aggressive price at the time. Jackson Chourio (hamstring) sounds like a game-time decision for tonight’s game. The Yankees got stomped again by the Blue Jays. It’s an extreme rarity to see a team get blown out in back-to-back games in the playoffs, which is hope is something that will remain unique to the Yankees in the LDS after tonight. Hopefully having a voice like Justin Turner’s in the clubhouse will help after Saturday:“Just wanna make sure guys weren’t getting too down, not beating themselves up too much. And I shouted out a few guys.”Justin Turner speaks on his veteran leadership with @EliseMenaker, watch the full interview on the Marquee App!
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) October 5, 2025“It would be silly for us to be beat up after one game … there’s such a veteran and relaxed group in there where we can keep our heads on.”Ben Brown says the Cubs’ veteran presence kept the group at ease after yesterday’s loss. pic.twitter.com/SU49gUYGzs
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) October 5, 2025 MORE CUBS FROM BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN NewsletterHeads up to our next watch party! Details:
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