The Chicago Cubs and the host San Francisco Giants were headed in opposite directions when their three-game series began this week, but their fortunes have reversed entering the finale on Thursday afternoon.

Riding three consecutive road wins over the Los Angeles Angels, the Cubs had their sights set on the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers as they stared at a week of games against the NL West’s bottom two teams.

Two losses later, the Cubs now find themselves 6 1/2 games behind the Brewers in the Central and just 1 1/2 games ahead of the San Diego Padres atop the NL wild-card race.

Meanwhile, the Giants, winners of four in a row for the first time since early July, quietly have edged ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks for third place in the NL West. San Francisco is still seven games out of the last NL wild-card position, however.

During a stretch in which Willy Adames made a powerful return to Milwaukee, Heliot Ramos collected five hits in two games against the Cubs and Matt Chapman reached a milestone with his 200th career homer on Wednesday, Ramos made one thing clear: As goes Rafael Devers, so go the Giants.

“We’re all getting on base for Raffy,” Ramos said on the NBC Sports Bay Area postgame show on Wednesday after Devers had four hits, including two homers, and five RBIs in San Francisco’s 12-3 win. “Raffy is the guy right here. You always want him at the plate.”

Devers, who contributed an RBI single to the Giants’ series-opening 5-2 win on Tuesday, will take his initial cracks Thursday against Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga (8-6, 3.03 ERA). They have gone head-to-head just three times previously, all in a meeting between the Cubs and the Boston Red Sox in April 2024 in which Devers had a single and two strikeouts.

Imanaga has gone winless in August despite a 2.33 ERA in four starts. He received a total of seven runs of support in those games, and he didn’t allow more than three runs in any of them.

The 31-year-old has faced the Giants just once in his two-year career, having allowed three runs during a no-decision in a visit to San Francisco in June 2024.

San Francisco will hand the ball to ace right-hander Logan Webb (12-9, 3.13 ERA). He pitched brilliantly in his past two starts against the Tampa Bay Rays and the Brewers, allowing just one run and eight hits in 13 innings. The Giants won both games 7-1.

Webb, 28, owns a 2-1 record and a 4.05 ERA four lifetime starts against the Cubs.

Chicago manager Craig Counsell noted before the Wednesday loss that his team is making decisions with the postseason in mind. That was his way of explaining why rotation regular Jameson Taillon, who started the Cubs’ Sunday win over the Angels but came away with a slightly strained left groin, would be placed on the injured list rather than make his scheduled start later this week in Colorado.

“I think sending him out there Saturday puts something at risk,” Counsell said. “I think he could go out there and pitch. I just don’t think it’s the smart thing to do.

“We all agree. In a different situation, maybe we push this. I don’t think this is the right time to push it.”

–Field Level Media