Chad Patrick News: Saddled with loss in matinee

Patrick (3-8) took the loss in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Cubs, coughing up five runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out four.

Making his first big-league appearance since July 5, the right-hander saw two runs cross the plate in the first inning after an Andrew Vaughn throwing error, but a three-run homer by Willi Castro in the third was all on Patrick's shoulders. Patrick has served up seven long balls in his last 42 innings with the Brewers dating back to May 31, contributing to a 4.50 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 48:14 K:BB over that span. He'll likely head back to Triple-A after the twin bill, but Milwaukee is beginning a stretch of 15 games in 14 days -- the team's next scheduled day off doesn't arrive until Sept. 2 -- so it's possible Patrick is kept around as part of a six-man rotation to help get through that grind.