Time change vs. Cubs attracts attention.

CHICAGO - The Chicago Cubs’ dubious decision to postpone a game due to rain when it never did on May 20 at Wrigley Field ultimately cost the Milwaukee Brewers an off day on July 6.

On Friday, the Brewers were forced to adjust again as they opened a pivotal three-game series with the Cubs at 7:05 p.m. rather than 1:20 p.m., which had been on the schedule dating back to the off-season.

The reason? With a night game scheduled Thursday in Pittsburgh, manager Joe Maddon & Co. were concerned about a lack of sleep while making their way back home and the quick turnaround.

The Brewers, on the other hand, arrived in Chicago from Cincinnati on Wednesday night and had an off day on Thursday.

So the Cubs petitioned both Major League Baseball and the City of Chicago – MLB for permission to move the game back and the city for a one-time exemption to the ordinance that disallows Friday night games at Wrigley Field in the regular season.

Both entities signed off on the request – with Mayor Rahm Emanuel going so far as to admit he was on board with the idea of helping the Cubs’ quest to return to the World Series – and the Brewers were left with no choice but to play along.

In the grand scheme of things, the change wasn’t that big a deal for the Brewers. They wound up getting a few more hours of rest themselves while also taking part in some history as the visiting team in the first Friday regular-season night game for the 103-year-old ballpark.

And while having to once again cater to the Cubs’ whims rankled a good part of the Milwaukee fan base, Brewers manager Craig Counsell mostly shrugged off the latest controversy.

“Look, the game’s at 7 o’clock. We’re here, we’re playing at 7 o’clock – it’s all good,” said Counsell, who was much less diplomatic on May 20, joking he had players treated for sunburn for the first time after the rainout.

“I understand why they changed it. Sleep’s a bipartisan issue, man. Everyone wants more sleep. Nobody’s going to argue against getting more sleep. I can’t quibble with them wanting to get more sleep. Everybody’s going to make that decision.

“I guess if you have the right to change game times, then you’re going to use it to your advantage.”

The change in start times became official a week ago and has added some more spice to what’s been an entertaining season series between the two teams.

The Brewers entered the night 5-7 against the Cubs, with their last meeting – that July 6 makeup game – an 11-2 rout that left Milwaukee with a 5 1/2-game lead in the Central heading toward the all-star break.

The teams have gone in opposite directions since then, with the Cubs entering the night with a fivegame lead in the Central and the Brewers – tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for second – needing a sweep in the worst way to get itself back into the hunt while also chasing the second wild-card spot.

“This stuff’s fun for everybody, for sure,” Counsell said of all the drama. “I guess it adds to it. I think the games are fun, personally, so that’s what I enjoy. I think that’s what our guys enjoy. The other stuff, it adds to it. But I’m looking forward to the games.

“If anything, it tells you this all means something, which is the position that we certainly want to be in. So you have fun with it. It’s stuff that’s certainly out of my control and out of the players’ control.

“We’re looking forward to the game. That’s why we’re here.”

What if the roles had been reversed, and it was Counsell and the Brewers who were seeking a little extra rest? Would they have tried the Cubs’ approach and sought to move a day game back?

“If we had a chance to change it, yeah, I think we would have,” he said. “We would have tried to. Would they have let us? That may be the bigger question.”

Lights were installed at Wrigley Field in 1988, and heading into Friday the Cubs were 362-320 overall in night games there and 21-11 this season.