SAN DIEGO -- Jhoulys Chacin was so good for the Padres at Petco Park last season -- compiling a 1.79 ERA in 16 home starts -- it made perfect sense for the Brewers to slot him into their opening series here after striking a two-year deal over the winter. But Padres manager Andy Green made a good point.
"He was pitching at home," Green said. "Now he's pitching on the road."
Indeed, Chacin looked anything but comfortable on his old mound Friday, when it took a furious Brewers rally in the ninth inning to overcome Chacin's shaky start in an 8-6 win over his former Padres teammates. They tallied seven hits in 3 1/3 innings in Chacin's Brewers debut, including back-to-back home runs in a go-ahead second inning. Chacin was charged with four runs, all earned, while walking two, hitting a batter and striking out one.
Brewers manager Craig Counsell made an early call to the bullpen with the bases loaded in the fourth inning, one out, Eric Hosmer coming up for San Diego and the Padres leading, 4-2. Another Brewers newcomer, left-hander Dan Jennings, who had just signed a contract with Milwaukee hours earlier, induced a double play to spare Chacin further damage.

"It wasn't the way you want to start the season," Chacin said, "but my team picked me up." 
Only once last season did Chacin surrender multiple home runs in a start at Petco Park, but Cory Spangenberg and Austin Hedges went back-to-back in the second inning for a 3-2 lead. Spangenberg's home run was a two-run shot.
"The home run I gave up to Hedges, it was the pitch I wanted to throw and where I wanted to throw it," Chacin said. "They saw the ball well, maybe."
Perhaps Chacin will have better results at his new home, Miller Park. He's lined up to make his next start against the Cardinals in Milwaukee on Wednesday.
"I don't think he got any of his pitches going," Counsell said. "Especially his slider, it never became the weapon that it is tonight. He was behind in the count quite a bit. He couldn't get anything going on the right track. He kind of battled through it and survived a little bit, and we got him out in the fourth to keep us in the game."