The Chicago Cubs are charging into the National League Division Series against their heated rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers, marking a first-ever playoff matchup between the two Midwest powerhouses. After clinching their Wild Card spot with a gritty win over the Padres on Thursday night, the Cubs now face a familiar foe under the lights of American Family Field. Indeed, this series promises the kind of divisional intensity that could swing on every pitch, especially with Craig Counsell managing the Cubs against his former team where he spent over a decade.
Game 1 kicks off Saturday evening at 7:08 p.m. CT in Milwaukee, followed by Game 2 on Monday at the same time and venue. If the series stretches—and it likely will, given the Brewers' home-field edge—the action shifts to Wrigley Field for Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Thursday, both starting at 6:38 p.m. CT. A potential Game 5 would return to Milwaukee on Saturday. The Cubs' schedule has been a rollercoaster this year, but their late-season surge, bolstered by stars like Seiya Suzuki and a resurgent bullpen, has fans chanting "Go Cubs Go" louder than ever. Meanwhile, the Brewers, who clinched the NL Central, bring their own firepower, led by Willy Adames and a pitching staff that's been quietly dominant.
Tickets? They're moving fast. Single-game seats for the Milwaukee openers went on sale Friday morning through MLB.com, with prices starting around $50 for upper levels but climbing quickly to over $200 for premium spots—a resale market frenzy already underway on secondary sites. Wrigley tickets won't hit the market until after Game 2, but expect similar chaos, with packages for the full potential home series bundling up to four games. Brewers fans, ever loyal, are snapping up what they can, while Cubs supporters plot their road trips north. However, the real story might be the undercurrent of rivalry: Counsell's departure to Chicago last offseason still stings in Milwaukee, adding a layer of personal drama to this best-of-five affair.
For neutral observers, it's a reminder of how baseball's regional feuds can turn ordinary October games into something profoundly electric, leaving us to wonder just how deep these loyalties run.