Cardinals 6, Brewers 4: Nelson loses control

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 5 1/3-inning outing as the Milwaukee Brewers fell to the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-4, at Miller Park.

The first two of those fourth-inning 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.

It was a definite step back for Nelson, who appeared to have turned the corner with his control after a solid spring and initial two starts in the regular season.

He allowed one hit over the first two innings Sunday before a two-out bloop single by Aledmys Diaz tied the score at 1-1. Ryan Braun got Milwaukee on the board with an RBI double in the first off Mike Leake.

BOX SCORE: Cardinals 6, Brewers 4

SCOREBOARD: Live MLB scores, box scores

BREWERS CHAT: Tom Haudricourt, 11 a.m. Tuesday

Milwaukee took the lead back briefly in the bottom of the third on Travis Shaw's sacrifice fly. From there on, it was all St. Louis until a two-run Brewers rally in the ninth that wasn't enough.

Nelson's issues began with consecutive walks to Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk to open the fourth. After Nelson got Greg Garcia to fly out, Kolten Wong doubled to drive in Piscotty and move Grichuk to third. Centerfielder Keon Broxton tracked the ball down just short of the wall, but it glanced off his glove and fell for the hit.

After No. 8 hitter Eric Fryer drew the third walk of the inning, Leake followed with a two-RBI single to center on an 0-2 pitch that made it 4-2. Counting Adam Wainwright's four-RBI night on Friday, Cardinals pitchers drove in six runs in the four-game series.

Nelson (1-1) finished out the inning, then issued free passes in both the fifth and sixth before exiting after 94 pitches. He allowed five hits and four runs (three earned) while striking out five.

"Walks are always frustrating," said Nelson. "I went through a stretch there where I lost some (velocity)."

After going six and 7 1/3 innings in his first two starts, Nelson has gone 5 1/3 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 rain-soaked game in Cleveland in 2015.

Brent Suter pitched an eventful seventh inning, picking 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 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 Braun – the Brewers' two hottest hitters – coming to bat.

But Thames struck out looking and Braun flied out to 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 put together some nice at-bats. 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 compiled just seven plate appearances off the bench since then, walking once.

"Today to me is about I really want to get Jesús back in the lineup," manager Craig Counsell said of Aguilar, who started five of the Brewers' first eight games after a sizzling spring training. "He needs a start, for sure."

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. Their last series victory over the Cardinals at Miller Park came from July 16-18, 2012, when they won 2 of 3.

• Braun's first-inning RBI double gave the Brewers the lead for the 18th time in their 20 games this season.

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.