Blue Jays 4, Brewers 3: Nelson shaky again

Almost two months into the season, Jimmy Nelson is still struggling to find his footing.

The right-hander followed up a solid start in San Diego with an off-night Tuesday at Miller Park, and the Milwaukee Brewers dropped a 4-3 interleague matchup to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Toronto scored twice in the second inning and twice in the fifth off Nelson, and that stood up the rest of the way as Milwaukee managed just one big inning and five singles.

The Brewers have lost consecutive games for the first time since May 5-6.

Nelson entered the night having gone 1-0 with a 1.15 earned-run average in his previous three starts but quickly ran into trouble in this one.

Toronto singled twice in the first but Nelson escaped the jam by inducing a 4-6-3 double play. He wasn't so fortunate in the second, with three more singles and a walk putting the Blue Jays ahead, 2-0.

BOX SCORE: Blue Jays 4, Brewers 3

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The damage was done by the bottom of Toronto's order, as well, with .191-hitting Ryan Goins driving in the first run and starting pitcher Joe Biagini, in just his second major-league plate appearance, driving in the second with a groundout.

Nelson pitched a 1-2-3 third and worked around a two-out double in the fourth but found trouble again in the fifth. After José Bautista singled with two outs, Kendrys Morales followed by crushing a long home run to center to double Toronto's lead to 4-0.

Biagini cruised through the first four innings, allowing only a single to Eric Thames in the first and a couple walks before the Brewers finally broke through in the fifth.

Hernán Pérez, Manny Piña and Orlando Arcia all singled to start, and manager Craig Counsell opted to lift Nelson for pinch-hitter Jesús Aguilar, who grounded out.

Nelson (2-3) finished the night having allowed eight hits, four runs (earned) and a walk with three strikeouts over 88 pitches. His ERA is 4.20 for the season.

Jonathan Villar, up next, singled to right to drive in Piña and Arcia to narrow the gap to 4-3. Thames walked, then the duo pulled off a double steal to put runners in scoring position for the heart of Milwaukee's order in Ryan Braun and Travis Shaw.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons countered by pulling Biagini for right-hander Danny Barnes, who struck out both Braun and Shaw on fastballs up and out of the strike zone.

Braun got another chance with two outs in the seventh after Villar walked and Thames was hit by a pitch but flied out to right.

Toronto's bullpen was tough on Milwaukee hitters overall, registering eight strikeouts while not allowing a hit. Pinch-hitter Eric Sogard drew a two-out walk in the ninth to give the Brewers a glimmer of hope, but Villar fanned against Roberto Osuna to end it.

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE

* The Brewers finally have their regular lineup back together after a road trip in which Braun was on the disabled list, Thames had strep throat and Shaw battled a minor finger injury.

Braun came back cold turkey from forearm and calf issues Sunday in Chicago and went 0 for 5 while facing tough Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta. He was swinging the bat well before his injuries and Counsell expects the same once he accumulates some at-bats.

“When you hop back in after some time off, and we’d all agree if anybody is capable (of doing well), Ryan is capable, you don’t know necessarily how you’re going to feel because you haven’t had at-bats for 10 days,” Counsell said.

“He didn’t have success on Sunday but he got five at-bats under his belt and saw a bunch of pitches, which can only help as we go forward.”

* First pitch for the Brewers' July 5 game against the Baltimore Orioles at Miller Park has been moved up to 6:10 p.m. The team plays its makeup game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field the following day at 1:20 p.m.

STAT SHEET

* The Brewers' plus-30 run differential in the first inning is the biggest of any team in any inning this season. Entering Tuesday they were batting .347 with nine homers and a 1.024 OPS in the opening frame.

* Since April 11, when it began a two-game series in Toronto, Milwaukee owns the second-best record in the National League and fourth-best record in the major leagues at 23-14 (.622 winning percentage). 

RECORD

This year: 25-20 (12-12 home; 13-8 away)

Last year: 19-26

ATTENDANCE

Tuesday: 30,742

2017 total: 680,303 (28,346 avg.)

Last year: 666,037 (27,752 avg.)

NEXT GAME

Wednesday: Brewers vs. Blue Jays, 12:10 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Matt Garza (2-0, 2.43) vs. Toronto RHP Marcus Stroman (4-2, 3.00). TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: AM-620.