Sports Today Thursday, September 3
← Back to today’s slate MLB matchup · September 3, 2026
Milwaukee Brewers
87-53 · 1st in NL Central
Bats heating up
RHP Logan Henderson · Elite strikeout stuff · plus control
@
Chicago Cubs
78-62 · 2nd in NL Central, 9 GB
Bats heating up
RHP Kevin Gausman · Command specialist
MLB · Wrigley Field · 4:15 PM PT

Team Identity

Milwaukee Brewers
Season-to-date, 140 games, 5,672 PA.
A patient, contact-oriented offense that works counts and draws walks, though it can be light on power. The bats have been heating up lately.
Power
Well Below20
Contact
Above Avg79
Plate Discipline
Elite96
Speed
Average65
RISP
Above Avg78
Recent Form
Trending Up
Hit rate is up 23% over the team's last 10 games versus its season baseline.
Chicago Cubs
Season-to-date, 140 games, 5,751 PA.
A power-hitting, patient offense that does damage on extra-base hits. The bats have been heating up lately.
Power
Elite97
Contact
Above Avg67
Plate Discipline
Elite96
Speed
Above Avg77
RISP
Above Avg72
Recent Form
Trending Up
Total bases per PA is up 42% over the team's last 10 games versus its season baseline.

What This Game Is About

Biggest Advantage

Cubs bring the more power-hitting profile, while Brewers lean on being patient.

Swing Factor

Logan Henderson strikes hitters out at a 29.5% clip (93rd percentile); Cubs carry a 20.7% strikeout rate.

Momentum

Brewers are trending up and Cubs are trending up over their last 10 games.

Key Matchups

Can Logan Henderson miss enough bats?
Logan Henderson strikes hitters out at a 29.5% clip (93rd percentile); Cubs carry a 20.7% strikeout rate.
Edge · CubsLogan Henderson: 29.5% K rateCubs: 20.7% K rateModerate confidence
Can Kevin Gausman command the strike zone?
Brewers walk in 10.1% of trips; Kevin Gausman allows walks sparingly (6.3%).
Edge · Kevin GausmanBrewers: 10.1% walk rateKevin Gausman: 6.3% walks allowedHigh confidence
Can Logan Henderson command the strike zone?
Cubs walk in 10.2% of trips; Logan Henderson allows walks sparingly (4.8%).
Edge · Logan HendersonCubs: 10.2% walk rateLogan Henderson: 4.8% walks allowedModerate confidence
Can Kevin Gausman miss enough bats?
Kevin Gausman strikes hitters out at a 23.0% clip (62nd percentile); Brewers carry a 20.5% strikeout rate.
Edge · BrewersKevin Gausman: 23.0% K rateBrewers: 20.5% K rateHigh confidence
Can Logan Henderson limit Cubs' power?
Cubs rank in the 97th percentile in extra-base production, while Logan Henderson sits in the 59th percentile at suppressing total bases.
Edge · CubsCubs: 0.363 TB/PALogan Henderson: 0.318 TB/PA allowed (292 PA)Moderate confidence

Pitcher Trends

Logan Henderson
Logan Henderson
Milwaukee Brewers · 8 starts
SP
Strikeouts6.5/start
Hits allowed3.5/start
6+ Strikeouts — 5 of last 65 or fewer Hits Allowed — 6 of last 6
29% K rate
Per-start form only — opponent lineup, park, and pitch count aren't modeled.
Kevin Gausman
Kevin Gausman
Chicago Cubs · 8 starts
SP
Strikeouts5.0/start
Hits allowed6.2/start
4+ Strikeouts — 6 of last 66+ Hits Allowed — 4 of last 6
23% K rate
Per-start form only — opponent lineup, park, and pitch count aren't modeled.

Player Trends

Michael Conforto
Michael Conforto
Chicago Cubs · 0.368 hit rate · 0.895 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L105 / 10L2510 / 25
Total bases per PA is up 155% over his prior baseline, with hits in 5 of his last 7 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 16%.
Christian Yelich
Christian Yelich
Milwaukee Brewers · 0.353 hit rate · 0.588 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L107 / 10L2515 / 252-game hit streak
Total bases per PA is up 88% over his prior baseline, with hits in 7 of his last 9 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 15%.
Matt Shaw
Matt Shaw
Chicago Cubs · 0.235 hit rate · 0.647 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L105 / 10L2511 / 253-game hit streak
Total bases per PA is up 86% over his prior baseline, with hits in 4 of his last 6 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 6%.
Gary Sanchez
Gary Sanchez
Milwaukee Brewers · 0.059 hit rate · 0.235 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L51 / 5L102 / 10L2510 / 25
Hit rate is down 65% over his prior baseline, with hits in 1 of his last 7 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 29%.
Brice Turang
Brice Turang
Milwaukee Brewers · 0.130 hit rate · 0.217 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L52 / 5L105 / 10L2515 / 25
Hit rate is down 40% over his prior baseline, with hits in 5 of his last 9 games.
Garrett Mitchell
Garrett Mitchell
Milwaukee Brewers · 0.185 hit rate · 0.185 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L106 / 10L2512 / 252-game hit streak
Total bases per PA is down 47% over his prior baseline, with hits in 4 of his last 7 games.

Players Positioned to Succeed

84
William Contreras
William Contreras
1+ Hit
Milwaukee Brewers
Why it stands out
Strong recent plate-appearance volume
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted
83
Seiya Suzuki
Seiya Suzuki
1+ Hit
Chicago Cubs
Why it stands out
Strong recent plate-appearance volume
Main risk
Recent hit rate has cooled
80
Jackson Chourio
Jackson Chourio
1+ Hit
Milwaukee Brewers
Why it stands out
Recent contact results are improving
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted
75
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Pete Crow-Armstrong
1+ Hit
Chicago Cubs
Why it stands out
Recent contact results are improving
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted
74
Alex Bregman
Alex Bregman
1+ Hit
Chicago Cubs
Why it stands out
Recent contact results are improving
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted
70
Dansby Swanson
Dansby Swanson
1+ Hit
Chicago Cubs
Why it stands out
Strong recent plate-appearance volume
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted

Expected Game Shape

BalancedLow confidence

Competitive profile without a clear stylistic tilt. Cubs bring more power. Starting pitching is likely to set the tone.

Early edge Brewers Driver No single dominant factor Volatility Moderate
  • Both probable starters grade around the 67th percentile in combined suppression.
  • Brewers are trending up; Cubs are trending up.

Storylines to Watch

Does Cubs' power tilt the game?
Cubs bring a clearly stronger extra-base profile into this matchup.
Brewers power pct 20 vs Cubs 97
Is Michael Conforto the one to watch?
Michael Conforto enters as Cubs' hottest bat. Total bases per PA is up 155% over his prior baseline, with hits in 5 of his last 7 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 16%.
0.368 hit rate · 0.895 TB/PA · 0.178 hit rate · 0.351 TB/PA
Can Gary Sanchez snap out of it?
Gary Sanchez has cooled off. Hit rate is down 65% over his prior baseline, with hits in 1 of his last 7 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 29%.
0.059 hit rate · 0.235 TB/PA · 0.169 hit rate · 0.343 TB/PA
Based on plate appearances before 2026-09-03, with today's posted lineups when available. Injuries, weather, bullpen availability, and park factors are not yet included.