Rookie Pitchers Aim to Lift Brewers in Decisive Playoff Matchup

The National League Division Series between the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers has been a wild ride, with the starting pitchers struggling to find their footing early on. As of October 12th, 2025, 21 of the 35 total runs in the series have been scored in the first inning, highlighting the challenges faced by the starting pitchers.

With the series tied at two games apiece, the two teams will face off in a winner-take-all Game 5 on Saturday night. Neither the Cubs' manager Craig Counsell nor the Brewers' manager Pat Murphy have announced their starting pitchers, opting instead to take a more flexible approach and utilize their deep bullpens.

The Brewers, in particular, are confident in their ability to overcome their lack of experience on the mound. Murphy has listed several rookie pitchers, including Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe, Jared Koenig, Trevor Megill, Chad Patrick, and Jacob Misiorowski, as likely contributors in the decisive game. Despite their youth, the Brewers have found success with this strategy throughout the season and are hoping it will carry them to the next round of the playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Cubs are trying to become the 11th team to win a best-of-five series after losing the first two games. They've shown resilience, winning each of their last three elimination games, all of which were at home. The team is feeling confident heading into the final showdown, with second baseman Nico Hoerner stating, "Game 5. Both teams have had great moments in this series. I love where our group's at."

The winner of Saturday's game will advance to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, which is set to begin on Monday. The Brewers would host the Dodgers, while the Cubs would travel to Los Angeles.