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By Andrew Wright
Contributing Sports Writer
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Headed into spring training, the fifth spot in the Chicago Cubs starting rotation was one of the biggest question marks on the roster.
The battle for that spot was won by 25-year-old right-hander Ben Brown. It was a sign of how confident manager Craig Counsell was in Brown's ability headed into the season, but that may have backfired.
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After allowing six runs in 5 2/3 innings against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, Brown is now 3-5 with a 5.71 ERA, 23 walks, 85 strikeouts and a minus-0.6 WAR, the worst of any pitcher in the Cubs starting rotation.
The rough outing for Brown came after back-to-back excellent outings against the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers in which he allowed just two runs in 13 innings. Brown's inconsistency and command issues prompted Counsell to give a stern but clear message to Brown about his recent outings.
"It's just execution," Counsell said of what Brown is struggling with, via Marquee Sports Network. "I mean, we see him, clearly has the stuff to be successful in the league. But there's also, that's a fine line, and if you're not sharp, and if you're giving hitters free pitches, then you're not executing, it's difficult to survive and to get through lineups without giving up runs."
The consistency issues for Brown have been a problem and could ultimately be the reason he is removed from the starting rotation when Chicago's ace left-hander Shota Imanaga returns from his hamstring injury.
Brown's next scheduled start is Tuesday against the division rival Milwaukee Brewers. He has made two starts against Milwaukee in his career and has not yet allowed a run and struck out 14 batters across 13 innings pitched.
Tuesday's start against Milwaukee may be the most important start in the young career of Brown and may ultimately determine his status in the Cubs' starting rotation for the remainder of the season.
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