Nelson loses control
Righty doomed by six walks
Jimmy Nelson’s command issues returned in a major way Sunday afternoon.
The right-hander doubled his season total by issuing six walks – including three in a three-run fourth – over a 51⁄3-inning outing as the Milwaukee Brewers fell to the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-4, at Miller Park.
The first two of those fourthinning walks came around to score as the Cardinals took control. The Brewers managed just one single from the fourth inning until a rally in the ninth in dropping to 0-3 in home series on the year.
After going six and 71⁄3 innings in his first two starts, Nelson has gone 51⁄3 in each of his last two. His six walks on Sunday tied his season high from 2016, when he led the major leagues with 86 to go along with 17 hit batters.
Nelson’s career high is eight walks, set in a rainsoaked game in Cleveland in 2015.
Brent Suter pitched an eventful seventh inning, picking Aledmys Diaz off first base after walking him and then striking out Matt Carpenter looking – a sequence that included both Carpenter and Cardinals manager Mike Matheny being ejected by home-plate umpire John Tumpane.
St. Louis tacked on a pair of runs in the eighth against Jared Hughes to make it 6-2 before Milwaukee showed some life in the ninth.
Manny Piña led off with his first home run of the season off former Brewer Jonathan Broxton, who was lifted after Keon Broxton reached on an error.
Closer Seung Hwan Oh came on and walked Hernán Pérez, then struck out Domingo Santana before Jonathan Villar hit an RBI single to right. That made it 6-4 with Eric Thames and Ryan Braun – the Brewers’ two hottest hitters – coming to bat.
But Thames struck out looking and Braun flied out to Stephen Piscotty at the warning track in right on Oh’s first offering to end it.
“It was a good rally,” manager Craig Counsell said. “Manny started off with a heck of an at-bat. Keon’s at-bats throughout the series have significantly improved. He’s taking another step in the right direction for sure. (Pérez) had a nice at-bat.
“We had the guys up there at the end that we certainly wanted, but it just didn’t work.” BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
Thames made his second start of the season in right field, clearing the way for Jesús Aguilar to make his first start at first base since April 11. Aguilar had a tough day at the plate, however, finishing 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.
The first two innings were played under an open roof. It was closed in the top of the third after temperatures plummeted thanks to what meteorologists were calling a “back door cold front.” STAT SHEET
The Brewers have not won a series from the Cardinals since winning 2 of 3 from April 28-30, 2014 at Busch Stadium. They’ve gone 0-14-3 in series against the Cardinals since then. TAKEAWAY
After two strong starts to open the season, Nelson has struggled in his last two. It’s a trend neither he nor the Brewers can afford to continue. To see the same command issues pop up all of a sudden after seemingly putting a lid on them is not a good sign for Nelson. RECORD
This year: 9-11 (3-8 home; 6-3 away)
Last year: 8-12 ATTENDANCE Sunday: 31,158 2017 total: 332,337 (30,212 avg.)
Last year: 312,781 (28,435 avg.) NEXT GAME
Monday: Brewers vs. Reds, 6:40 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Matt Garza (NR) vs. Cincinnati LHP Amir Garrett (2-1, 1.83). TV: FS Wisconsin Alternate channel. Radio: AM-620.