MILWAUKEE -- Few Major League pitchers entered Sunday hotter than Jhoulys Chacin in June. The Brewers right-hander had allowed five runs over 24 1/3 innings in four starts this month.
But Chacin couldn't continue his scorching stretch against the Cardinals on Sunday, as he struggled with command en route to giving up a season-high eight runs over 4 1/3 innings in an 8-2 Brewers loss at Miller Park. With the defeat, the Brewers split their four-game set with the Cardinals and stayed two games ahead of the Cubs, who lost their fourth straight game on Sunday, atop the National League Central.
Chacin's problems started in the first, an inning he had been excellent in this season. The Cardinals' first two batters reached base -- as they also did in the second, fourth and fifth against Chacin -- and Matt Carpenter scored on a sacrifice fly, only the second run Chacin has allowed in 17 first innings this season.
"His command wasn't great today," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "He just battled with it all game. He made some pitches to get through the first three innings, but there was traffic all day, and just not quite as sharp as he's been in previous starts."

The Brewers' bats backed their starter with four first-inning hits, including Christian Yelich's 10th homer of the season, to take an early 2-1 lead. The advantage held until Chacin allowed five runs in the fourth. Alone, that inning, highlighted by Jose Martinez's three-run homer, matched Chacin's previous single-game high for earned runs allowed this season.

But if there was an issue with Chacin's performance against the Cardinals, it came before St. Louis even met bat with ball. All season, Chacin has been able to get hitters to put the ball in play and keep his pitch count down, like against the Pirates in his last start when he was pulled after 6 1/3 innings and 74 pitches. But after issuing a season-high five walks, Chacin threw 89 pitches and was consistently pressured with runners on base.
"I didn't have a good feeling with my pitches today," Chacin said. "When you walk five guys in four innings, it's not a good game. I had runners on base every inning and just battled with my control. I was just missing too many pitches in the middle. I paid for it."
It wasn't just Chacin who didn't pick up the slack in the series finale against the Cardinals. Like on Saturday, Milwaukee's offense score two runs in the first inning but never crossed the plate again.
"We didn't play good the last two days," said Travis Shaw, who exited the game in the third inning after re-aggravating a right wrist injury. "It is what it is. We took two out of four and we're still in first place."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Chacin's rough fourth: Chacin nearly escaped the fourth inning with just two runs allowed and a one-run deficit for the Brewers, but Martinez took an 0-2 offering over the left-center field wall for a three-run homer and gave the Cardinals a four-run cushion. Entering Sunday, hitters were 1-for-29 (.034) with 11 strikeouts against Chacin with an 0-2 count this season.
"0-2 hits, 0-2 home runs are frustrating," Counsell said. "I think [Chacin's] going in there and he just didn't get it quite where he wanted to get it. It was in, but he was probably trying to go in off the plate."
William Fowler started the inning with a double and scored with Harrison Bader on Carpenter's two-run single. After issuing a walk to Greg Garcia, Martinez clobbered his 11th homer of the season and the seventh surrendered by Chacin.
"I felt like I made a good pitch to Martínez, but maybe not down enough, and he put a good swing on it and hit a homer," Chacin said. "But overall, I wasn't making good pitches today."

SOUND SMART
Before allowing eight earned runs on Sunday, Chacin had allowed nine total runs over his first six starts at Miller Park this season.
HE SAID IT
"Not right now. We'll see how tomorrow goes with treatment for them, but if we have two players who are unable to play for a while, we'll just go through tomorrow and see what tomorrow brings. The off-day is helpful, for sure." -- Counsell, on if he is planning for DL stints for Shaw and Lorenzo Cain (groin/hamstring), who both exited games over the weekend
UP NEXT
Right-hander Freddy Peralta (2-0, 2.30 ERA) will make his Miller Park debut on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. CT, when the Brewers welcome the Royals for the first of a two-game series. Peralta's first three Major League starts have all come on the road, and he calls it a "dream" to pitch at Miller Park. Milwaukee is 6-6 in Interleague play this season and will oppose Kansas City right-hander Jakob Junis (5-8, 4.43) in the opener.