Milwaukee hosts Chicago in Game 2 of the NLDS with a chance to seize a commanding 2-0 lead after a potent Game 1 showing. Shota Imanaga will try to steady the Cubs, while Aaron Ashby aims to rebound for Milwaukee following his brief relief appearance. Counsell frames Imanaga as a fierce competitor who pitches with joy, even as recent outings have exposed homer-prone tendencies.

Imanaga’s 3.73 ERA this year and 13 earned on 14.2 innings in his last three starts loom large, and Chicago needs him to rediscover his rhythm. If he can keep the ball in the park, the Cubs stay dangerous; if not, Milwaukee’s offense and bullpen depth could push the series back to Wisconsin.

Milwaukee jumped out to a dominant start, scoring six in the first inning as Jackson Chourio delivered a two-run single to cap the frame and Milwaukee cruised to a 9-3 win over Chicago in Game 1 of the NLDS. The Brewers piled 13 hits with no homers, leaning on scrappy contact and timely hits to pressure Counsell’s Cubs. Freddy Peralta worked 5 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts, tying a team playoff record, while Chourio left early with right hamstring tightness and an MRI looms.

The Cubs answered with three solo homers from Michael Busch, Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner, but Milwaukee answered early and often, extending the lead and riding a potent, run-suppressing approach that carried the regular season. The atmosphere in Milwaukee felt like a home game for the Brewers as crowd energy and in-game execution supported the surge, even as Chourio’s health became the focal point moving forward.

Chourio’s injury updates will dominate the narrative ahead of Game 2 Monday, with Pat Murphy calling the potential issue “could be devastating” before the ace rookie expressed optimism about his readiness. Milwaukee will lean on its depth and the same gritty approach as it heads into the rest of the series, while Chicago must regroup and reimagine its offense without relying on the long ball alone.

Milwaukee’s 9-3 Game 1 rout over Chicago sets a brutal tone for the NLDS, with Matt Boyd pulled after a disastrous six-run first that doomed the Cubs from the jump. Michael Busch staked the Brewers to the early lead with a leadoff homer as Brewers pitchers silenced the Cubs bats for most of the day. Chicago countered with sparse offense and a bullpen shuffle that’ll dictate Game 2, where Shota Imanaga’s rest could swing the series’ rotation and continue the ongoing post-season chess match over pitching depth.

Counterpunching and adaptation defined the day: Counsell’s crew poured it on, and the Cubs must reassemble quickly with questions about starting assignments, pitching rest, and bullpen leverage. The historic lens—older postseason decisions and coaching gambits—underscores why every mound move in October becomes scrutiny, shaping how fantasy managers value rotation slots and daily lineups as the series progresses.

In a game that spoiled the opener’s fun and raised the stakes, the focus shifts to who starts Game 2, how rest affects arms, and which bullpen profiles hold the most upside in a close-out-or-cover scenario. The Brewers’ confidence is buoyed by early momentum; the Cubs must adapt quickly to avoid a swift series-deflating 2-0 hole.

Milwaukee jumped on Cubs starter Matthew Boyd in NLDS Game 1, scoring six runs in the first inning after he started on three days' rest, then adding three more in the second to roll past Chicago 9-3. Blake Perkins chased with an RBI single during the early rally as Nico Hoerner’s error opened the floodgates. Aaron Civale steadied Milwaukee’s bullpen after Mike Soroka’s short outing. Game 2 moves to Milwaukee on Monday as the Brewers take momentum and a hot offense into the series.