The Chicago Cubs host the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, with first pitch set for 7:40 PM ET. Kevin Gausman gets the ball for Chicago against Atlanta's Martín Pérez in a late-season regular season matchup that carries real weight. The Braves bring one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball, headlined by Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson, making this a genuine test for the Cubs at home. Watch on Marquee Sports Network or catch it on 104.3 The Score locally.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Gausman vs. Pérez

Kevin Gausman draws the start for the Cubs, and this is exactly the kind of game you want your best arm ready for. Gausman is an experienced, crafty right-hander who can work through a loaded lineup when his splitter is commanding the zone. He'll need to be sharp — the Braves are not a lineup that forgives mistakes.

Martín Pérez gets the ball for Atlanta. The left-hander has been a durable rotation piece for the Braves, and he'll be working against a Cubs lineup that manager David Ross has stacked with legitimate threats top to bottom.

Chicago Cubs Starting Lineup

• 1. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
• 2. Seiya Suzuki, RF
• 3. Alex Bregman, 3B
• 4. Tyrone Taylor, LF
• 5. Nico Hoerner, SS
• 6. Michael Busch, 1B
• 7. Matt Shaw, DH
• 8. Pedro Ramírez, 2B
• 9. Miguel Amaya, C

Atlanta Braves Starting Lineup

• 1. Drake Baldwin, C
• 2. Ronald Acuña Jr., DH
• 3. Matt Olson, 1B
• 4. Michael Harris II, CF
• 5. Mauricio Dubón, SS
• 6. Austin Riley, 3B
• 7. Mike Yastrzemski, LF
• 8. Ozzie Albies, 2B
• 9. Brewer Hicklen, RF

Keys to Watch Tuesday Night

Gausman Containing Acuña and Olson

Ronald Acuña Jr. slots in at DH and hits second, giving Atlanta a dangerous table-setter who can also do serious damage on his own. Matt Olson bats cleanup — third, actually — in a lineup that is built to grind pitchers down. Gausman's ability to limit the heart of Atlanta's order will go a long way toward determining the outcome at Wrigley.

Pete Crow-Armstrong Sets the Tone at the Top

PCA leading off means the Cubs want him on base and creating chaos early against Pérez. If Crow-Armstrong can get on and Seiya Suzuki and Alex Bregman can drive him in, Chicago has the firepower to put up runs against a left-hander.

The Bregman-Hoerner Middle of the Order

Alex Bregman hitting third and Nico Hoerner fifth gives the Cubs a dependable, professional core in the lineup. These two don't beat themselves, and against a veteran left-hander like Pérez, their plate discipline could be the difference in a close game.

Atlanta's Depth Is Real

Even with Ozzie Albies hitting eighth, the Braves don't offer many breathers. Gausman will need to be economical with his pitch count to get deep into this game and keep the Cubs bullpen from being overworked on a Tuesday night.

Prediction

This is a quality matchup on both sides, and Wrigley Field under the lights in September is about as good as baseball gets. Gausman has the stuff to keep the Braves honest, and if the Cubs can make Pérez work early, they have enough in this lineup to get to the Atlanta bullpen. Cubs take this one at home, 4-2.