Cubs vs. Braves Lineup: A Familiar Order, David Peterson Starts, Wild Card Mania

The Wild Card race is hitting an inflection point.

With the Philadelphia Phillies breathing down their necks, the Chicago Cubs will embark on their toughest series left on the regular season calendar. The 88-win Braves will come to town as the leaders in the NL East. Already stealing two of three from the Cubs earlier this season, Craig Counsell will need to flip the script to hold onto the top Wild Card spot.

To be sure, there will be a handful of more games to play after this series wraps up. But the Phillies will get the Washington Nationals over the next few days. If there was any time for them to build a slight lead for that home-field advantage, now would be the time.

Game Info

Who: Atlanta Braves (88-62) at Chicago Cubs (83-67)
Where: Wrigley Field
When: 6:40 CT
Watch: Marquee Sports Network
Listen: 104.3 The Score

Chicago Cubs Lineup

1. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
2. Seiya Suzuki, RF
3. Michael Busch, 1B
4. Alex Bregman, 3B
5. Ian Happ, DH
6. Nico Hoerner, SS
7. Michael Conforto, DH
8. Pedro Ramírez, 2B
9. Carson Kelly, C

Craig Counsell is going with the A-team down the stretch. Once again, the manager isn't getting fancy with the Wild Card race heating up. He's going with a very familiar look, keeping Michael Conforto at DH and Pedro Ramírez at 2B. The only change from Sunday's finale against the Pirates will be behind the plate, where Carson Kelly will take over for Miguel Amaya.

This is the series where the stars need to be stars. Pete Crow-Armstrong has cooled down pretty tremendously over the last week or so. He is 6-for-27 in his last seven games, striking out seven times and recording an OBP of just .290. He failed to record a hit in the final two games of the series against Pittsburgh. The Cubs need that to change fast.

Having said that, the good news is that this should be the Cubs' last series without one of their biggest names. Dansby Swanson has been trending in the right direction as of late. He will be on a rehab assignment very soon and is expected to be in the lineup by this weekend.

Atlanta Braves Lineup

1. Ronald Acuña Jr., RF
2. Drake Baldwin, DH
3. Matt Olson, 1B
4. Ozzie Albies, 2B
5. Michael Harris II, CF
6. Mauricio Dubón, LF
7. Austin Riley, 3B
8. Sean Murphy, C
9. Ha-Seong Kim, SS

On the Mound ...

Sep 8, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher David Peterson (19) takes the sign before delivering a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cubs – David Peterson, LHP

The David Peterson experiment has been nothing short of a success for the Cubs. The ground-ball enthusiast has continued to deal in front of this defense, putting together another impressive outing against the Milwaukee Brewers. He held the NL Central foes to just 1 earned run on six hits in 4.1 innings of work. All things considered, it was a solid bounce back from his 6-run showing a week earlier.

Counsell has been hesitant to let Peterson go too deep into games, though. One reason for this has certainly been his command. The last few games have seen him throw his fair share of balls. He's at a combined 10 walks in his previous three starts. The good news, however, is that this Braves team isn't prone to drawing many trips to first. Is that because they are great at putting the ball in play and hitting for power? Sure, but it's still notable as we head into this series opener.

Braves – Reynaldo López, RHP

The Chicago Cubs will catch a small break during this series with the Atlanta Braves. While a meeting with this squad is never easy, the current schedule has them dodging the juggernaut that is the Braves' early rotation. Instead, they will start things off against Reynaldo López, who has been in and out of a starting role with the team this year.

Indeed, as far as hittable pitchers go for the Braves, López is right near the top of the list. He is fresh off giving up 6 earned runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings of work against the Tampa Bay Rays. He leans heavily on his four-seamer, which rests in the mid-90s and can lead to some big extra-base hits.

To be sure, López has been serviceable this season and has a 4.13 ERA. He also mixes in a pretty good slider that catches the bottom of the zone. There is a reason the Braves have continued to lean on him throughout the year. And yet, the Cubs are still happy to know he is on the mound first in this one.

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