It should not be much of a surprise that the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs would have quite a bit of bad blood between them. The Brewers are the favorites to take the NL Central, a division that had been the Cubs’ playground for years. Now that the Cubs are looking to re-establish themselves, it is understandable that there could be some friction.
That continued to be the case on Saturday. Ian Happ was drilled in the knee during the fifth inning, leaving the game as a result. It was just a typical game between the two teams.
Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs continue their beanball wars
There has been plenty of bruising thus far in 2022 between those teams. The Brewers have been hit by pitches three times already while the Cubs have been hit four times. That would be a large amount for a series, but it has just been two games with 17 more to go.
These balls to the ribs or back are likely not going to end any time soon. Back in 2020, the Cubs hit Brewers hitters five times, with the Brewers hitting Cubs batters 11 times. Last year, 12 Cubs were hit by pitches, with 18 Brewers feeling the wrath of the opposition.
Chances are, that will not change on Sunday. Marcus Stroman is slated to take the ball and he is not one to back down. Should a member of the Cubs’ lineup find themselves on the wrong side of a Freddy Peralta offering, Stroman will respond in kind.
It is fair to wonder if the umpiring crew in this series is paying attention to this history. If so, there should be warnings before the first pitch on Sunday. Otherwise, another bruising game could ensue, with multiple icepacks necessary.
The Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs have a great deal of bad blood between them. Based on the first two games, that will continue Sunday.