Milwaukee Brewers: How good was Jhoulys Chacin against the Cubs?

Jhoulys Chacin lead the Milwaukee Brewers to victory on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs. But just how awesome was Chacin’s start?

The Milwaukee Brewers needed a win against the Cubs to keep pace for the division race, and Jhoulys Chacin turned in the effort they needed. Chacin did an excellent job of mixing his pitches, keeping the Cubs offense off balance, and generating a ton of whiff-swings as the Brewers cruised to victory.

How good was Chacin on Tuesday?

Jhoulys Chacin earned his 12th win on Tuesday, as he shutdown the Chicago Cubs over seven scoreless innings. He used 105 pitches, and 63 went for strikes. Chacin struck out 10. He only allowed three hits and two walks. He also lowered his ERA to 3.72.

What else was special about Tuesday’s win?

Well, the Milwaukee Brewers are only two games in back of the Chicago Cubs for the division title, and the win kept them on pace for the NL Wild Card. This was also the third straight start in which a Brewers pitching has shutout the Cubs. They also won 4-0 on June 12th, and 1-0 on June 13th. That’s good for a 27-inning scoreless streak against Chicago by the Brewers.

Chacin had been awesome in the second half so far, right?

Wrong. Since the All-Star break, Chacin brought a 5.09 ERA into Tuesday’s start. He had also allowed at least one homer in each of his last five starts. However, this was his fifth win in his last six starts.

If the Milwaukee Brewers manage to return to the post-season, Chacin’s efforts will be a key reason why. Chacin brought a ridiculous platoon split with him to Milwaukee when he was signed in the off-season, but he’s proven a lot of the doubters wrong. He’s stayed healthy, gobbled up innings, and kept the Milwaukee Brewers in games more often than not. Chacin has provided far more value than his $8 million salary. He’s an even better value next year at $6 millon.