Monday- Coming home with momentum

Some things to read on someone else’s scooter.

The Milwaukee Brewers finished a 10-game road trip with a nice win on Sunday, scoring six runs against Randy Wolf and the Miami Marlins in the first three innings en route to a 7-1 victory and a series win. Jordan Mader of Brew Crew Ball has the recap, if you missed it.

With Yovani Gallardo continuing to nurse a sore ankle, Jimmy Nelson got the call for his first start of the season on Sunday and pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings on his way to his first MLB win. He’s now allowed just one run in 15 2/3 career MLB innings. He also received some high praise from Ryan Braun, as shown in our two-part Tweet of the Day:

#Brewers Ryan Braun on Jimmy Nelson: “It’s exciting and encouraging moving forward with him and Wily (Peralta) at the front of rotation.”

— Tom (@Haudricourt) May 25, 2014

More Braun on Nelson: “A guy that good, you know we’ll see him again soon. And hopefully we’ll see him for a long time.”

— Tom (@Haudricourt) May 25, 2014

Nelson didn’t get long to enjoy his success, though, as he was optioned back to Triple-A Nashville after the game and infielder Irving Falu had his contract purchased from Nashville to fill his roster spot. Falu will occupy the 40-man slot opened up when the Brewers outrighted Jeff Bianchi to Triple-A after Saturday’s game. 

If Falu gets into today’s game, it will only be his second MLB appearance since the end of the 2012 season. He was hitting .288/.349/.341 (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging) in 38 games for Nashville and had been splitting time between third base, shortstop and second base. Bianchi had appeared in 21 games as a Brewer this season and was hitting .145/.172/.145.

For whatever reason, the Brewer bats appear to have come out of their prolonged slump. They’ve now picked up 10 or more hits in five consecutive games (h/t @joe_block) for the first time since July-August of 2012. The franchise record is nine games, set in 1983 and tied in 2011.

Other notes from the field:

• This is the fastest team to 30 wins in franchise history (h/t @Haudricourt).
• Rob Wooten recorded the final out in the sixth inning and all three outs in the seventh in relief of Jimmy Nelson, and has now worked 12 consecutive scoreless outings. That streak dates back to April and covers 12 2/3 innings.
• Francisco Rodriguez, meanwhile, allowed a single run in the ninth while protecting a 7-0 lead. It was only the third time he’s allowed a run in 25 appearances this season.
• Jonathan Lucroy had a pair of doubles on Sunday and is now tied for second in all of baseball with 20 (h/t @MikeVassallo13). He would’ve moved into a tie for first place if he had stopped at second base on his triple in the ninth.
• Jean Segura went 0-for-5 but scored a run on Sunday in his fourth consecutive start in the leadoff spot. He had seven hits in three games there between Thursday and Saturday, and stole a pair of bases.
• The Brewers tumblr has a gif of Mark Reynolds spearing a line drive to third base during Sunday’s game.
• Former Brewer Casey McGehee started all three games in the Marlins series and went 2-for-12, with both hits coming on Saturday. Christina De Nicola of MLB.com talked to some of McGehee’s former teammates, who are glad to see him succeeding in Miami.

Following Sunday’s game, the Brewers got on a plane back to Milwaukee, and they’ll open an eight-game homestand with a Memorial Day matinee at 1:10 p.m. today. Kyle Lohse is scheduled to take on Chris Tillman in the opener, and Jake King-Schreifels has the MLB.com preview. This week’s series will feature Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy returning to Milwaukee, but @Mass_Haas has a reminder not to forget about fellow former Brewer Nelson Cruz.

We’re unlikely to see Orioles star first baseman Chris Davis in today’s series opener, though: He was placed on the paternity list on Saturday to be with his wife for the anticipated birth of their first child and isn’t expected to rejoin the team until Tuesday.

Looking ahead another day, Yovani Gallardo is currently scheduled to start the finale of the Orioles series on Wednesday (h/t @Haudricourt). He’s been moved up a couple of days after having his spot skipped due to his ankle injury.

The Brewers’ only loss in Miami over the weekend came on Saturday in a game that may be remembered for a pretty remarkable baserunning gaffe. With the Brewers trailing by one run in the sixth inning, Ryan Braun was coming home to score on a single by Mark Reynolds but the run didn’t count because Carlos Gomez was caught trying to take third for the third out of the inning before Braun crossed the plate. Mark Townsend of Big League Stew has more on the mistake and Gomez’s comments about it.

Gomez, by the way, had eight hits in the Marlins series while batting in the cleanup spot. He also made national headlines by telling reporters “it’s a sexy feeling” to be batting fourth.

Of course, no conversation of recent mistakes is complete without a mention of Thursday’s bullpen issue as Ron Roenicke called in a reliever who had not been warming up. Ron Roenicke Stole My Baseball dissected the incident and Roenicke’s explanation, and Braves blog Rowland’s Office has a reminder of the time something similar happened to Joe Torre.

In between those two games, the Brewers and Marlins held an unlikely home run derby in their series opener at cavernous Marlins Park on Friday night. Khris Davis hit the longest blast of the night, and The Brewer Nation has video of the 448-foot event.

I’ve already mentioned that Jean Segura also had a nice weekend after being moved into the leadoff spot. Justin Schultz of Reviewing the Brew asks if he’s turning things around.

In the minors:

• The affiliates went 4-0 on Sunday, and one of those wins came from Brevard County, where the Manatees scored seven runs in the second inning and held on for a 7-5 win over Tampa. You can read about all of yesterday’s action in the Brewerfan.net Link Report.
• Chris Mehring of Rattler Radio has audio highlights and more from Wisconsin’s 3-2 win over Clinton, which included four bunt singles.
• Tom Gorzelanny started and pitched 2 1/3 innings for Nashville in a rehab appearance on Sunday, allowing a single run on four hits with no walks and two strikeouts (h/t @joe_block).
• With Jimmy Nelson joining the Brewers this weekend, former first-round pick Taylor Jungmann was promoted to Triple-A Nashville to fill his roster spot. Jungmann started in Nelson’s place on Friday and was roughed up, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks over just three innings.
• Tim Haudricourt talked to minor league pitching coordinator Rick Tomlin about some of the young arms in the organization.
• Nashville broadcaster Jeff Hem has an interview with Sounds outfielder Kevin Mattison.
• Tyler Drenon of MLB Daily Dish has the Brewers selecting University of Evansville RHP Kyle Freeland with the No. 12 overall pick in his latest mock draft.

Today in power rankings: 

• Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has the Brewers as the NL’s second-best team, down one spot.
• Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times has the Brewers fourth in all of baseball, down two spots.
• Nats Insider has the Brewers holding steady at No. 4.
• Buster Olney of ESPN also has them fourth.

Around baseball:

Cardinals: Placed reliever Kevin Siegrist on the DL with a forearm strain.
Cubs: Signed outfielder Manny Ramirez to a minor league deal.
Marlins: Placed pitcher Brad Hand on the DL with an ankle sprain.
Orioles: Acquired catcher Nick Hundley from the Padres for reliever Troy Patton and cash.
Padres: Designated pitchers Billy Buckner and Blaine Boyer for assignment.
Phillies: Placed third baseman Cody Asche on the DL with a hamstring strain.
Red Sox: Placed outfielder Shane Victorino (hamstring strain) and first baseman Mike Napoli (dislocated ring finger) on the DL.
Rockies: Placed third baseman Nolan Arenado on the DL with a broken middle finger.
White Sox: Reliever Frank Francisco has rejected an outright assignment to the minors and is now a free agent.

Let’s go around the NL Central:

• The Cardinals took two of three from the Reds over the weekend, including a 4-0 shutout on Sunday. Adam Wainwright pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out 12 while lowering his ERA to 1.67.
• The Pirates missed a chance to sweep the Nationals, losing 5-2 on Sunday. Neil Walker had three hits in the losing effort.
• The Cubs lost two of three to the Padres over the weekend, including a 4-3 defeat on Sunday. The Cubs scored two runs in the top of the ninth to close the gap but came up short.
• The Brewers, of course, took two of three from the Marlins and wrapped up a series win with a 7-1 victory on Sunday.

On Friday David Schoenfield of ESPN noted that the Brewers and Cubs, who enter play today 10 1/2 games apart in the standings, were only a run apart in run differential and the Cubs were actually better. As of this morning the Brewers are +12, while the Cubs are -6.
 
Today in former Brewers: MLB Daily Dish asks if Prince Fielder “will ever be royalty again.”