Peralta and Horton Silence the Scoreboard—What Really Happened Behind the Scenes?

Can a team steamroll its way through the ultra-marathon that is Major League Baseball’s 162-game season and still keep its steam? That’s exactly the question the Milwaukee Brewers are forcing us to ask as they come barreling into this week’s colossal showdown with the Chicago Cubs. Baseball’s grind is legendary—starting with chilly Spring Training in February, stretching into the dog days of summer, and sometimes not calling it quits until the leaves start falling in October or beyond. With every team now locked into a schedule that has them face pretty much every opponent, we’re no longer just daydreaming about playoff encounters; we’re getting a real-time preview. The Brewers, scorching hot since June, are dazzling with a 47-17 run that makes even last year’s Mets look chilly by comparison. Meanwhile, the Cubs are fighting to regain their spark, entering this five-game melee hopeful but cautious. With aces like Freddy Peralta and Cade Horton taking the mound, this isn’t just a series—it’s a pulse-pounding prelude to playoff intensity that demands your full attention. Are we about to witness a Brewers juggernaut steamroll or a Cubs comeback narrative in the making? Buckle up—it’s going to be one heck of a ride. LEARN MORE.

Brewers vs. Cubs, 2:20 ET

Baseball has the longest schedule of all of the major sports. We start with Spring Training in February, and then the season starts in March. It spans 162 games and gets all the way to October or sometimes even November. It is a long, wild ride. A few seasons ago, teams didn’t play everyone; they do now, so we don’t need to wait until the playoffs to see how matchups would look. Some series mean more than others, and there is probably no bigger series starting this week than this one between the Brewers and the Cubs. 

The Brewers have been the hottest team in baseball for two weeks. Honestly, if we really evaluate them, they’ve been the hottest team in baseball since June. They were three games over .500 at the start of the day on June 1st, and they are now 33 games over the mark today. Meaning in about two and a half months, they have won thirty more games than they’ve lost. The team is 47-17 since June 1st. That is an insane run, something that is not going to be easily replicated. Even the Mets last year weren’t quite this hot.  The Brewers have played 27 games in the second half of the season and have won 22 of them. They just lost their 14-game winning streak yesterday, but it doesn’t seem like that will matter to them as they have only lost back-to-back games three times since June 1st. Freddy Peralta takes the bump today for the Brewers, he is showing that he may be a true Ace. Peralta is 14-5 with a 2.90 ERA, and a 1.12 WHIP. His numbers rank in the top-20 in each of the categories. The Cubs do get him in an ideal situation for them, though. Peralta is just 6-4 on the road with a 4.00 ERA. He pitched at Wrigley Field once this season, going five innings and allowing three earned runs. This will be his fourth start against the Cubs this season. All of them have been decent starts, but the overall history shows a .165 average over 158 at-bats against Peralta. Ian Happ is in for a long day, with just a 2-for-32 mark against Peralta. Seiya Suzuki and Dansby Swanson are not much better, both going 2-for-21 against him.

The Cubs are not the hottest team in baseball or even close to one of the best over the past few months. They still have one of the better records in baseball. They are 17 games above .500, but they finally won a series after losing three straight to the Reds, Cardinals, and Blue Jays. In fact, in the second half of the season, they have won just four series out of nine. On the 19th of July, they were 20 games over .500, and in the second half, they are one game under the midway mark. This is a huge series for the team as they play the Brewers in five games this week, Monday-Thursday with today being a double-header. They are sending out Cade Horton to do their dirty work today. Horton has been very good for the Cubs this year with a 7-3 record, 3.07 ERA, and a 1.18 WHIP. The Brewers are not getting him in an ideal situation as Horton has a 1.61 ERA at home. He has only allowed one earned run over the past 28.1 innings, and five over the past 40 innings. Only one Brewers hitter has faced Horton, and Andew Vaugn is just 0-for-2 against him.

This is going to be a playoff type of game. I understand this is one of five games between the two, and it is the first of a double-header, but expect both managers to be cautious. I expect the Cubs to be a bit more cautious than the Brewers. The problem is that the Cubs offense has been nonexistent. I’m going to take the under through five innings. Both pitchers should have a good command of the opposition here. Back the under through five. 

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