MILWAUKEE _ The Milwaukee Brewers have been consistent at building early leads but inconsistent at protecting them in the late going. But this was a different script.
The Brewers found themselves trailing by two runs in the fourth inning Wednesday night at Miller Park but pecked away until they made off with a 6-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
Right-hander Jimmy Nelson was the beneficiary of that timely offense, battling through six innings to record his fourth victory in seven decisions. Nelson allowed seven hits and a walk but only three runs while logging six strikeouts.
As they often do (56 first-inning runs), the Brewers jumped on top, 1-0, when their second batter, Domingo Santana, lofted a home run into the picnic area in right field, already matching his career high with 11 homers.
Nelson entered the game on an absolute tear, posting a 1.77 earned run average over his previous six starts. His last two were absolute gems in which he allowed 12 hits and one run over 15 innings with no walks and 21 strikeouts.
Nelson made it to the third without allowing a run before a three-batter blip put three runs on the board for the Giants. With one down, Eduardo Nunez singled to center, stole second and scored on Brandon Belt's double to right. Nelson then hung a first-pitch slider to Buster Posey, who whacked it off the bottom of the scoreboard in center for a two-run homer and 3-1 lead.
The Brewers quickly chipped away at that margin, scoring twice in the fourth off lefty Ty Blach to tie the game. Jesus Aguilar led off with a hit and continued to second on an outfield error, coming around when Travis Shaw singled to center. A double by Hernan Perez moved Shaw to third, setting up Manny Pina's sacrifice fly to right.
With two down in the Brewers' fifth, Santana singled to center and raced all the way around from first when Aguilar went the other way and punched a double into the right-field corner. The lead grew to 5-3 in the sixth when Pina doubled with one down and scored on another by Arcia with two outs.
Right-hander George Kontos took over for Blach in the bottom of the seventh and Jonathan Villar gave him a rude greeting, blasting a home run to right on a 1-0 cutter. It was the fourth consecutive inning in which the Brewers scored, turning a 3-1 deficit into a 6-3 lead.
