MILWAUKEE _ Gerrit Cole bookended his start Tuesday night with two nice innings. He needed 10 pitches in a 1-2-3 first. He struck out three batters in the sixth, one with a slider, one with a changeup and one looking at a fastball.
It was the middle innings that caused the problem.
Cole allowed five runs in six innings during a 5-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. He also struck out 10, the second time this season he struck out 10 Brewers in a game. The damage came in the second inning, on Eric Thames' solo homer, and during a four-run third.
Cole had alternated good and bad starts entering Tuesday. The final pitch he threw Aug .21 against the Los Angeles Dodgers _ a grand slam to Curtis Granderson _ represented the majority of his final line, five runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. He then shut out the Cincinnati Reds for seven innings and hit a solo homer in a 1-0 victory.
Against those same Reds the following week, he allowed five runs, six hits and three walks in six innings. Then Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs, he pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out eight.
"For me there's been significant major league growth this year," manager Clint Hurdle said. "It's not just growth and getting innings, it's been pitching quality games, going through lineups three times, sometimes four, getting big outs. That part of it's been fun to watch.
In none of his past three outings did Cole allowed a home run, which has been a problem for him this season. Only five NL starters had given up more than the 27 home runs Cole had allowed this season. Eight of them came during a three-start span in late May and early June, when every mistake left the playing field.
"He didn't overcook it," Hurdle said. "It wasn't because of this, it wasn't because of that. It was, you know what, I made some mistakes up in the zone, seemed to be in a spot where every time I make a mistake, somebody's riding it out of the ballpark. Whether it's launch angles, whether it's the ball, who knows. We've seen it all over, all over the game."
The streak ended in the second inning. Cole worked an 0-2 count on Eric Thames, then threw the left-hander a fastball at the top of the zone and outside. Thames still managed to pull it over the right-field wall.
The trouble Cole found himself in during the third inning was quieter, but more dangerous.
He allowed consecutive singles to Keon Broxton and Brett Phillips before walking Eric Sogard to load the bases with nobody out. An outside curveball floated close enough to the edge to earn a called strike three on Neil Walker. Ryan Braun grounded into a fielder's choice that scored a run, but Cole had a chance to escape with only that run allowed.
Braun stole second, opening first base. Cole intentionally walked lefty Travis Shaw, who had hit two home runs against him, to pitch to righty Domingo Santana with the bases loaded. No matter for Milwaukee; Santana hit a two-run double, and Thames singled to bring home another run.
