The set-up: National League Central rivals Chicago and Milwaukee open a four-game series tonight. Both are coming off shutout losses, with the Cubs coming off back-to-back ones. The Brewers had won four of their first five behind a strong offense but they were blanked 6-0 on Wednesday in the finale of a three-game home series against St. Louis. Milwaukee collected 19 extra-base hits in its first five games before managing just five singles in the shutout loss. The Cubs haven't scored since Saturday, as they were blanked 6-0 at Miami on Sunday and 1-0 at Cincinnati the following day before being rained out on Tuesday (Cubs had an off day on Wednesday). The 2-3 Cubs have scored 18 runs in their two wins and just one in their three losses, including a 17-inning game. The season is barely a week old but this series will almost certainly have a playoff-like atmosphere at Miller Park this weekend. The Milwaukee Brewers led the National League Central, and the defending World Series champs, for most of the summer, only to fall down the stretch.

The pitching matchup: Jon Lester (0-0, 8.10 ERA) takes the mound for the second time in 2018 for the Cubs and will be opposed by Milwaukee lefty Brent Suter (1-0, 5.40 ERA). Lester struggled on Opening Day against the Marlins, lasting only 3 1/3 innings after allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits. lester is a notoriously slow starter, as he's 15-17 in March and April and has a winning record in every other month. Lester is 3-2 with a 2.77 ERA in six career starts against the Brewers. Suter won his season debut Friday at San Diego, allowing three runs and five hits over five innings. Suter made 22 appearances (including 14 starts) in 2017, going 3-2 with a 3,42 ERA (Brewers were 9-5, +$421 in his starts). He has been very solid at home throughout his young career, going 4-1 with a 3.23 ERA in 20 games (eight starts) at Miller Park. He's 1-0 with a 3.14 ERA in six outings (two starts) against the Cubs.

The pick: The last time these two teams met was a four-game September series in Milwaukee (Sep. 21-24). The Cubs arrived looking to snuff out Milwaukee's fading hopes at regaining the division lead. Each of the first three games went 10 innings. Chicago took the first two and was a strike away from winning the third in regulation but Orlando Arcia hit a game-tying home run off closer Wade Davis. Jon Jay put the Cubs up in the 10th with an RBI single but a walk-off home run from Travis Shaw in the bottom of the inning gave Milwaukee the victory. However, Jose Quintana, the Cubs' marquee mid-season acquisition, shut Milwaukee out in the finale 5-0 and the Cubs went on to win the division crown. It's only early April but this series figured to be fun. Forget fun, take the veteran Lester over Suter, who has just 17 career starts. Make Chicago a 10* play.