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 Peralta gave up seven runs and eight hits in 4 1-3 innings, and was outpitched by Cincinnati's Homer Bailey in a 9-1 loss to the Reds on Sunday.
The 23-year-old right-hander was totally different from the previous time he faced the Reds at Miller Park. In what might have been the best start of his first full season in the majors, he threw a three-hitter on July 9 in Milwaukee's 2-0 win.
But he allowed seven runs and eight hits, walked four and struck out four over 4 1-3 innings on Sunday. He slipped to 1-3 in four starts this season against the Reds.
"Last start we faced him, we did well against him," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said of Bailey, who allowed one run and three hits in eight innings on Sunday. "He's got great stuff, and he's the same thing as Wily. When he's got command, and he had command of all his pitches today, he's going to be very difficult to hit."
Peralta was the opposite.
He gave up singles to the first four batters, capped by Ryan Hanigan's two-run hit. A walk to Shin-Soo Choo loaded the bases for Joey Votto, and a passed ball added another run.
The Brewers walked Votto intentionally and set up Peralta to face Brandon Phillips, who was 1-12 against the right-hander. Phillips' two-run single foiled the move and gave Bailey a 5-0 lead in the second.
Peralta settled down for the next two innings, but walked Phillips to start the fifth. He advanced on a wild pitch and took third on a fly ball to the warning track in right. Chris Heisey ended Peralta's 26th start of the season with a run-scoring single.
Peralta seemed puzzled when he tried to explain his inconsistency.
"I don't know," he said. "Today was a tough day. I've got to figure out a better command with the fastball. I didn't have that much command of my pitches."
Asked if Peralta's inconsistency was mental or physical, Roenicke was left without an answer, too.
"I don't know," he said. "I guess a little bit of both. I think it'd be probably mostly physical. The mental part probably doesn't get into it until he starts scuffling some. He pitched well lately, He's pitched well against this club lately. You just don't expect that for him to come out and struggle like that."
Roenicke added that those struggles are to be expected.
"It's going to happen with a young pitcher," he said.
Bailey (8-10) won his third straight decision by beating a team that has given him trouble. He improved his career mark against Milwaukee to 2-7 in 14 starts overall with his first win in three starts against the Brewers this season.
"For some reason this team has usually done pretty well against me," Bailey said. "I never really thought about it, so I just kind of went out there and tried to pitch a little bit."
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He did more than a little bit against the Brewers, thanks to good fastball location and a tough curveball.
"He's got incredible stuff," second baseman Scooter Gennett said. "He was getting ahead for the most part. When guys with good stuff get ahead, it makes it that much harder."
Gennett's double in the second, and Khris Davis' solo shot in the fifth and infield single in the seventh were the only hits for the Brewers.
"We didn't have that timely hit," Gennett said. "He was down for the most part, in and out of the zone, working in and out of the zone with pretty much all of his offspeed pitches which makes it quite tough to hit."
Bailey walked one and struck out eight, including Juan Francisco three times.
"Since we have seen these guys so many times, I am starting to get a better feel for them," Bailey said after earning his first win at Miller Park. He came in 0-3 in five career starts.
The Reds, who lost 2-0 on Saturday night, batted around in the second inning as an erratic Peralta (8-13) allowed five runs. Cincinnati sent 10 men to the plate in the fifth and tacked on four more runs.
"You play for the big inning, and if not, you play for one," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "To get big innings like that is huge."
The victory sent the Reds back to Cincinnati with a 5-2 road trip. They swept the three-game series with Chicago Cubs prior to heading to Milwaukee.
"Main thing, we had a pretty good road trip, 5-2," Baker said. "We will be happy with what we got."
Tyler Thornburg took over for Peralta, but was just as bad. The Reds batted around for the second time and capitalized on Thornburg's wildness. He issued four walks, including two with the bases loaded, and a run-scoring single to Hanigan, who had two hits and three RBIs.
Alfredo Simon pitched the ninth for the Reds.
Bailey struggled a bit after throwing his second-career no-hitter with a 3-0 win over the San Francisco Giants on July 2. He lost the next four starts, but turned it around with two consecutive wins.
NOTES: Brewers All-Star center fielder Carlos Gomez missed his third consecutive game with a sprained right knee. He was on the field for several drills and long toss before Sunday's game. He is listed as day-to-day after being injured making a twisting catch while colliding with the wall during Thursday's 2-1 loss to Cincinnati. ... Thornburg allowed two runs on one hit with five walks and one strikeout in 1 2-3 innings of relief for Milwaukee. ... Milwaukee has been held to four or fewer hits 15 times this season. ... Brewers RHP Marco Estrada (5-4) and Cardinals RHP Shelby Miller (11-8) open a three-game series as St. Louis visits Milwaukee.
[Associated
Press; By JOE TOTORAITIS]
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