MILWAUKEE _ 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.
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 Jose 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.
Hernan Perez, Manny Pina and Orlando Arcia all singled to start, and manager Craig Counsell opted to lift Nelson for pinch-hitter Jesus 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 Pina 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.
