Cubs vs. Brewers Lineup Notes: More Conforto, Will Suzuki Go Deep? Shota vs. Sproat

Let's hope the Chicago Cubs used plenty of Listerine and officially got the disgusting taste of Sunday afternoon's loss out of their mouth. At the end of the day, there is no time for them to hang their head, as a heated NL rival is now stepping into Wrigley Field for a three-game set.

Game Info

Who: Milwaukee Brewers (26-18) at Chicago Cubs (29-18)
Where: Wrigley Field
When: 6:40 PM CT
Watch: Marquee Sports Network,
Listen: 104.3 The Score

Chicago Cubs Lineup

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

The Chicago Cubs are going with an identical look to Sunday's heartbreaker at The Rate. And why wouldn't they? As rough as the ending may have been, they don't have their offense to blame for that. The offense still came alive during the Crosstown Classic following its ice-cold stretch. They ended the series with nine hits and eight runs on the board. To be sure, their runners in scoring position issue still reared its ugly head, as they went just 2-for-15. But their power continued to look restored with Michael Busch and Michael Conforto sending one deep.

Speaking of which, Conforto has made a strong case for himself to see more playing time. He is hitting .345 this season with a 1.111 OPS. Is part of this success due to Craig Counsell using him in the right spots? Sure, but there are only so many clutch moments he can have before deserving a little longer leash. His manager seems to be giving him just that by giving him a third consecutive start.

Who else am I keeping a close eye on tonight? I really like Seiya Suzuki's chances to hit one deep. The wind his whipping here in Chicagoland and blowing out at Wrigley. Brandon Sproat has also given up eight home runs over his eight appearances thus far, and his hard-hit percentage has ranked inside just the 45th percentile. If Suzuki can catch a slider that doesn't break right, I could see it going a LONG way.

Milwaukee Brewers Lineup

1. Jackson Chourio, CF
2. Brice Turang, 2B
3. William Contreras, C
4. Christian Yelich, DH
5. Andrew Vaughn, 1B
6. Jake Bauers, LF
7. Luis Rengifo, 3B
8. Sam Frelick, RF
9. Joey Ortiz, SS

The Milwaukee Brewers have won eight of their last ten games, and the most recent two have come by a single run. They continue to be as pesky as ever, leading the league in hits with runners in scoring position. With that said, the team's OPS sits a mere 23rd overall, and they are dead-last in home runs. This isn't necessarily a group that is going to blow anyone out, but rather one that will look to out-discipline you at the plate and on the bases. They sit fourth in total walks and fourth in stolen bases. You have to play smart against this team.

On the Mound ...

May 13, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Cubs – Shota Imanaga, LHP

Most days, I'd worry slightly about Shota Imanaga on the mound with the wind blowing out at Wrigley. But today isn't one of those days. The Brewers aren't known to hit much for power, which only makes this feel like even more of an advantageous outing for Imanaga. He was already entering the day with a 2.32 ERA and 59 strikeouts. When he was last up against a dominant Braves lineup, he still managed to strike out six batter sand go 7.0 innings deep. At the end of the day, there isn't any other arm on the roster right now that you would want to open up a series against a division rival.

Brewers – Brandon Sproat, RHP

Unlike Shota Imanaga, 25-year-old Brandon Sproat has left a lot to be desired this year for the Brewers. He has recorded just a 5.75 ERA over his eight outings and has a walk rate that sits at 13.0 percent. This should be music to the ears of a Cubs team that is fresh off nine walks against the White Sox. To Sproat's credit, he has been slightly better in recent outings, but he is still the kind of pitcher this Cubs lineup should be able to rough up early. Lefties, in particular, should have some real success against Sproat.

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