After losing Chase Anderson and his 2.89 ERA to the disabled list, the Brewers need starters to step up to keep their surprising contending hopes afloat. A day later, Jimmy Nelson provided reason for optimism.
Nelson allowed two runs on three hits over seven innings during an 11-3 Brewers rout over the Reds on Thursday that salvaged the finale of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park. Nelson also walked one and tied a career high with 11 strikeouts, as he improved to 6-4 with a 3.43 ERA.
“When you lose one of your best pitchers, to have the other guy … step up the way he did today, that’s encouraging,” said left fielder Ryan Braun, who hit the first of six Brewers home runs in the game. “Chase has obviously been phenomenal, but Jimmy has been right there with him. It’s exciting to see him take that step forward, because he’s always worked hard enough to be that guy. He’s wanted to be that guy, and we’re seeing it come to fruition.”
Said Nelson: “We’re just going to have to step up as a rotation and do our job until he can get back. That’s why it’s a team.”
The Brewers’ six homers came from Jonathan Villar (who hit two), Jesus Aguilar, Braun, Manny Pina and Domingo Santana. Aguilar’s was part of a three-hit, four-RBI night.
In his second start of the season back from the disabled list, Reds starter Homer Bailey got clobbered again. Bailey gave up six earned runs on six hits — including three homers — over three innings with two walks and two strikeouts. In two starts, totaling just 4 2/3 innings, Bailey has a 27.00 ERA.
“It’s not the first time I’ve had two bad games in a row, so we’ll just keep going until it kind of sharpens up,” said Bailey, who returned Saturday from Feb. 18 elbow surgery that removed bone chips.
The Brewers sent nine to the plate during a four-run third inning, which was started by a Villar solo homer off Bailey to right-center field. In reliever Kevin Shackelford’s big league debut, Villar greeted him with a lead-off homer in the fourth inning. Shackelford then gave up a pair of one-out hits before Aguilar hit a three-run homer to center field that made it 10-0.
The six homers in the game were one shy of a Great American Ball Park record for one team in a game, and it was also the sixth time in franchise history that Milwaukee hit six or more homers in a game. The club record is seven.
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