Game report: Jimmy Nelson solid, but Brewers fall to Giants

On the field: Jimmy Nelson turned in a solid start and Jesús Aguilar hit another home run, but it wasn't enough as the San Francisco Giants rallied to beat the Brewers, 6-4, on Wednesday at Maryvale Baseball Park.

Nelson allowed two hits, three runs (earned) and a walk to go along with four strikeouts in a 5 2/3-inning outing. He made one big mistake, surrendering a two-run homer to Denard Span in the third, but he still departed with a 4-2 lead.

Improved command has been one of the big takeaways from the spring for Nelson, who's issued just two walks while striking out 16 through 12 2/3 innings. Nelson led the major leagues last year by issuing 86 walks and hitting 17 batters.

"That was one of the main focuses, just getting ahead of guys and having less base runners as far as the walks and the stuff I can control," Nelson said. "Just pounding the zone. There's going to be hits, but making them earn it is better than giving it to them."

Added manager Craig Counsell: "That's a big key for Jimmy to get better. That many free passes just makes you be so perfect. There's just a little more room for error."

The Giants scored three times against reliever Carlos Torres in the seventh and hung on from there.

Aguilar went 2 for 3 and now has five homers on the spring to go along with a .450 average and an OPS of 1.407.

"He just keeps squaring the ball up," Counsell said. "It's hard contact. Lots of at-bats with hard contact."

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NOTES: Factors still in play in determining relief roles

BREWERS CHAT: Todd Rosiak transcript Wednesday

BOX SCORE: Giants 6, Brewers 4

Cactus juice: Keon Broxton generated some laughs in the Brewers' dugout in the first inning when he lost his footing and face-planted rounding first base on what should have been an extra-base hit. Broxton got up, made his way back to the bag, dusted himself off and got a brief hug from coach Carlos Subero while several teammates glanced around the stands from the top step of the dugout, searching for a make-believe sniper. "He was somewhere down the right-field line," joked Broxton, who was able to cross home plate not long thereafter on a Ryan Braun double.

Weather: Mostly cloudy, 79.

Scoreboard: Giants 6, Brewers 4. Record: 14-11-1. Thursday: Brewers at Oakland A's, 3:05 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Junior Guerra (2-0, 1.80) vs. Oakland RHP Raul Alcantara (0-1, 4.91). Radio – 620-AM.

Countdown: 11 days until opening day, April 3, against Colorado at Miller Park.

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