SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Jhoulys Chacin didn’t have much control early and hit leadoff batter Andrew McCutchen with his third pitch. Then the Milwaukee right-hander settled down and helped the Brewers inch closer to first place in the NL Central.
San Francisco starter Johnny Cueto, on the other hand, is staring at another possible stint on the disabled list following another painful outing.
Chacin pitched three-hit ball over seven innings, Christian Yelich homered for the second time in three days and Milwaukee beat the Giants 7-1 on Saturday night.
Chacin (10-3) was masterful while earning his fourth consecutive win. The right-hander yielded one run, struck out six and walked one.
“He pitched beautifully,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “Basically after the first strike that he threw I thought he had control of the game and was executing. His fastball was really good early and then his slider was really good as the game went on.”
Newly acquired third baseman Mike Moustakas singled in five at-bats in his Milwaukee debut. The two-time All-Star was traded from Kansas City late Friday in exchange for outfielder Brett Phillips and right-hander Jorge Lopez.
Chacin allowed only two runners and faced one over the minimum until Nick Hundley’s leadoff home run in the sixth. He also gave up a two-out single to Steven Duggar in the sixth and a two-out double to Pablo Sandoval in the seventh.
“The ball was running too much the first two innings and I couldn’t command it,” Chacin said. “Then I was using my four-seam a little bit more early in the game, just trying to get command with my fastball. While I did that I started throwing my sinker and sliders. Everything was working out.”
It’s a completely opposite story for San Francisco.
Cueto (3-2) allowed seven hits and four runs over four innings, then later revealed he has been pitching in pain for some time. The right-hander, who missed two months earlier this season while on the disabled list with an elbow sprain, is scheduled to meet with doctors on Sunday.
“I keep telling you guys and I keep telling myself that I’m fine but in reality I’m not,” Cueto said through a translator. “It’s very difficult every time I go out there. Every time I throw a pitch it bothers me.”
Lorenzo Cain added four hits for the Brewers, and Eric Thames and Orlando Arcia had two apiece.
The Brewers beat the Giants for the third straight day to move within a half-game of NL Central-leading Chicago. The Cubs lost their second straight to St. Louis earlier in the day.
Taylor Williams and Dan Jennings retired three batters apiece to complete the four-hitter.
Yelich had a two-run broken bat single off Cueto in the second and hit his 15th homer leading off the fifth against reliever Ty Blach.
“We found some holes and Yelly had a couple of really big hits,” Counsell said. “He’s locked in. He’s in a really good place.”
Jesus Aguilar, Erik Kratz and Orlando Arcia also drove in runs for Milwaukee.
The Giants couldn’t keep up and lost their fourth straight after manager Bruce Bochy tried to shake up his lineup by having McCutchen batting in the leadoff spot for the first time since 2011. McCutchen went 0 for 3.
ENSHRINED
Former Giants pitchers Matt Cain, Brian Wilson and Ryan Vogelsong were inducted into the team’s Wall of Fame during a pregame ceremony. Cain pitched the only perfect game in franchise history on June 13, 2012.
LEAVING FOR COOPERSTOWN
Bochy left after the game to attend the Hall of Fame induction of reliever Trevor Hoffman. Hoffman played for Bochy from 1995-2006 while both were in San Diego. Bench coach Hensley Meulens will serve as interim manager Sunday.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brewers: 2B Jonathan Villar (right thumb) has been sent to Triple-A Colorado Springs to begin a rehab assignment. … RHP Matt Albers was reinstated from the disabled list. OF Keon Broxton as optioned to Colorado Springs. … IF Brad Miller was designated for assignment.
UP NEXT
RHP Junior Guerra (6-6, 3.13 ERA) starts against the Giants for the second time in his career in Sunday’s series finale at AT&T Park. Guerra received a no-decision against San Francisco in 2017. LHP Andrew Suarez (3-6, 3.99) pitches for the Giants in his first career appearance against the Brewers.
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