PHOENIX -- Just as the Brewers were stringing together some wins and putting an early-July skid behind them, a rough pitching performance brought their success to a halt.
Jhoulys Chacín’s disappointing season continued as he struggled in the Crew’s 10-7 loss to the D-backs on Friday night at Chase Field. The right-hander was chased during Arizona’s six-run third inning, during which it sent 11 batters to the plate, collected five hits and capitalized on a Milwaukee error and a wild pitch.
The Brewers had dropped eight of 10 before their three-game win streak that was snapped by this loss. They entered the day leading the race for the second National League Wild Card, but they now trail the Cardinals and Phillies by a half-game, while also sitting three games back of the Cubs in the NL Central.
Chacin’s outing ended with one out in the third after he allowed six consecutive batters to reach base, a stretch that began with a Jarrod Dyson single, a Ketel Marte double, an Eduardo Escobar triple and a Christian Walker home run.
Chacin is winless over his last 11 starts, posting a 5.96 ERA in 51 1/3 innings during that stretch.
“He just didn’t pitch well,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “It felt like they just got all over his slider and when he was in the strike zone with his slider, they put good swings on the ball.”
In 2018, Chacin went 15-8 with a 3.50 ERA in 35 starts in his first season with the Brewers as he was one of the club’s most reliable starters. This year, he’s 3-10 with a 5.67 ERA over 18 outings. Milwaukee has lost nine of Chacin’s last 10 starts and is 5-13 when he takes the mound.
“Last year, I commanded my ball really well, it kept moving in and out, just mixed it up,” Chacin said. “This year, nothing has been on the corners. Whenever I throw a little bit on the corners, I pitch OK. But every time, like today, everything’s in the middle, fastball’s in the middle, get behind in the count, it’s not going to work for me.”
The Brewers couldn’t overcome a six-run deficit, although Christian Yelich hit his MLB-leading 35th home run of the season, a two-run blast in a three-run seventh.
If Milwaukee is going to stay competitive in the NL Central and Wild Card races over the final two months, it may need to add some pitching help before the July 31 Trade Deadline. Brandon Woodruff and Zach Davies are having strong campaigns -- and Gio Gonzalez is returning from the injured list Saturday -- but the rotation has been inconsistent and could benefit from the addition of one of the top available arms on the trade market, perhaps at the expense of Chacin’s spot in the rotation.
Asked about Chacin’s future, Counsell said the Brewers need improved outings from the right-hander.
“We’ve got to have better, I don’t think there’s any question about that,” Counsell said. “He would probably put together about a three-start stretch where he was throwing the ball well, but a night like tonight -- that puts you in a hole, that’s a tough game to win. Tonight’s not going to work.”
Chacin, an 11-year veteran, is just focused on trying to pitch better moving forward.
“It’s frustrating, the whole season’s been frustrating,” Chacin said. “I don’t have anything to do with keeping me in the rotation, I’m going to do whatever they want me to do. If I make another start, I’ll try to forget about today.”