Cubs, Brewers each starting relievers for Game 5

Both the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers volition person relievers starting Saturday's Game 5 arsenic openers.

The Cubs announced that left-hander Drew Pomeranz would start, portion the Brewers are turning to right-hander Trevor Megill, their All-Star closer.

Neither figures to spell precise heavy into the game, arsenic some teams program to usage respective pitchers.

"With the objection of (Game 4 starter) Matt Boyd, everyone's going to beryllium available," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Friday. "And truthful it's a cliché here, but we person 11 pitchers to fig retired however to get 27 outs. That's however we're treating it."

Pomeranz went 2-2 with a 2.17 ERA successful 57 regular-season appearances, with 53 of them coming successful relief. He has struck retired 5 without allowing immoderate hits oregon walks successful 5 scoreless innings this postseason.

He has pitched 1 inning successful each of the past 3 games of this series. Pomeranz was the winning pitcher successful Game 3 connected Wednesday.

The Cubs had the enactment of turning to Game 2 loser Shota Imanaga connected 4 days' rest, but helium posted a 6.51 ERA successful September and has allowed six runs implicit 6 2/3 innings successful 2 appearances this postseason.

Megill went 6-3 with 30 saves and a 2.49 ERA successful 50 alleviation appearances during the regular season. He spent a period connected the injured database with a strained close flexor earlier returning to transportation successful the Brewers' regular-season finale.

Megill has pitched successful 2 games this series. He retired the lone 2 batters helium faced successful Game 2 and pitched one-third of an inning portion allowing a deed and a locomotion successful Game 4.

Milwaukee could usage a akin attack to its Game 2 strategy, erstwhile 7 antithetic pitchers contributed to a 7-3 victory. Murphy noted that Aaron Ashby would beryllium disposable aft throwing 32 pitches successful the Brewers' Game 4 nonaccomplishment connected Thursday.

Murphy listed Ashby, Megill, Abner Uribe, Jared Koenig and Chad Patrick and Jacob Misiorowski arsenic guys who are "going to astir apt pitch."

"A batch of those guys are rookies, a batch of those guys are not precise experienced, but that's however we've won each these games and travel together," Murphy said. "Now we're playing successful a mode bigger environment, and it's a bigger task. But I'm assured that we'll person capable pitching."

The Cubs are trying to go the 11th squad to triumph a best-of-five bid aft losing the archetypal 2 games. The past squad to bash it was the New York Yankees against Cleveland successful the 2017 AL Division Series.

Saturday's winning squad would unfastened the NLCS connected Monday. The Brewers would big the Dodgers for the commencement of the series, portion the Cubs would question to Los Angeles.