Ben Brown's recent outing against the St. Louis Cardinals showcased the stark contrast of his performance as he struggled with control and execution. After an encouraging beginning, a couple of pivotal moments unraveled his game, culminating in four home runs allowed, leading to an 8-2 loss for the Cubs. Two-run blasts by Lars Nootbaar and Willson Contreras highlighted Brown's inconsistency. This marked the highest earned runs allowed by a Cubs starter since Jon Lester in 2020.

Brown acknowledged his frustration, expressing the difficulty of maintaining a consistent performance. Manager Craig Counsell emphasized the importance of growth for the young pitcher, indicating that the potential is there, but execution needs refinement. With competition for rotation spots intensifying, a demotion to Triple-A could be in Brown's near future, allowing him the opportunity to recalibrate before returning to the major leagues.