Wednesday- Jimmy Nelson and the easier decision

Some things to read while leaving the door open.

If you went to bed early Tuesday night, you didn’t miss much, as the Milwaukee Brewers fell behind early and never came back in a 4-1 loss to the San Diego Padres. Derek Harvey of Brew Crew Ball has a recap, if you missed it.

Jimmy Nelson’s tenuous grip on the final spot in the Brewers’ starting rotation got a little weaker on Tuesday as he lasted just five innings and allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks. Nelson appears increasingly likely to be the odd man out when Matt Garza is ready to return from the disabled list.

• Ryan Braun was back in the lineup on Tuesday after leaving Monday’s game early with a thigh contusion, but went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts (h/t @AdamMcCalvy).
• Jonathan Lucroy hit his MLB-leading 44th double in the fourth inning and eventually came around to score the Brewers’ only run (h/t @joe_block). He’s now tied for the ninth-highest single-season total in franchise history with more than a month to play.
• Jean Segura had a pair of hits Tuesday and has reached base five times in two games since getting a couple of days off for a “mental break” over the weekend. He’s raised his season OPS from .588 to .597 this week.

The series will be on the line when the Brewers and Padres play a slightly earlier West Coast game tonight. Yovani Gallardo will face Odrisamer Despaigne at 8:10 p.m., and Will Laws has the MLB.com preview.

With a right-handed pitcher on the mound, Scooter Gennett was back in the lineup on Tuesday and had an RBI-double. Gennett’s performance in a platoon role has been impressive this season, but Nate Petrashek of Cream City Cables says his struggles against left-handed pitching make him a potential liability for this team.

With Jonathan Lucroy, Aramis Ramirez and Gennett, the Brewers had three players in Tuesday’s starting lineup with batting averages over .300 entering the day. Bill Chuck of Gammons Daily noted that half of baseball’s 30 teams do not have a .300 hitter this season, and six teams don’t have a player over .285.

Ramirez raised his batting average over .300 with a hot August, picking up 35 hits in the first 21 games of the month. Greg Giesen of the Racine Journal Times has a story on Ramirez’s quiet leadership as one of the veterans on this team.

There are still a handful of games left in August, but we’re continuing to look ahead to Sept. 1’s roster expansion. Ben Tannenbaum of The Brewers Bar listed outfielder Kentrail Davis, first baseman Hunter Morris and pitcher Alfredo Figaro as three candidates for a stretch run promotion.

Expanding rosters means the Brewers should be able to activate Matt Garza off the disabled list without having to make a corresponding move. The coaching staff raved about Garza’s bullpen session on Tuesday, but it’s still not clear if he’ll return directly to the majors or make a minor league rehab start before coming back to the big leagues.

In the minors:

• The Brewers could send as many as eight players to the all-prospect Arizona Fall League this October, and the league’s rosters were announced on Tuesday. The highlights are Brevard County outfielder Tyrone Taylor, 2014 Rule 5 pick Wei-Chung Wang and Huntsville pitcher Tyler Wagner.
• Noah Jarosh of Brew Crew Ball notes that two Brewer representatives, infielder Hector Gomez and catcher Shawn Zarraga, are both scheduled to become minor league free agents after the season and will only be eligible for the AFL if they re-sign with the organization.
• Looking further ahead, it appears the Brewers will have a new Triple-A affiliate for the 2015 season. Noah Jarosh spotted a report suggesting the organization could be part of a three-team affiliate shuffle that would land their Triple-A team in Fresno, which currently hosts a Giants farm club.
• Most minor league teams play their final regular-season games this weekend, so postseason honors are starting to trickle in. Congratulations are due out today to Brevard County pitcher Tyler Wagner and infielder Nathan Org, who were both named to the Florida State League’s postseason All-Star team (h/t @BCManatees).
• Wisconsin catcher Clint Coulter was also honored as the designated hitter on the Midwest League’s postseason team. Coulter is second in the league with 20 home runs this season.
• Back on the field, the affiliates went 3-4 on Tuesday, and two wins came from Brevard County, where the Manatees beat Lakeland 13-4 and 2-1. You can read about all of the action in today’s Brewerfan.net Link Report.
• Chris Mehring of Rattler Radio has postgame audio, highlights and more from Wisconsin’s 6-2 win over Beloit. Brad Krause of Miller Park Prospects was also in attendance and has a photo gallery from the event.
• The Timber Rattlers now have a three-game lead over Quad Cities for the Midwest League Western Division’s final playoff spot with six games to play.
• Nashville broadcaster Jeff Hem has an interview with Brewers roving instructor Don Money.

In power rankings: Call to the Pen has the Brewers eighth, down four spots from a week ago.

Around baseball:

Angels: Designated pitcher Wade LeBlanc for assignment.
Blue Jays: Designated outfielder Nolan Reimold for assignment.
Cardinals: Placed outfielder Shane Robinson on the DL with a shoulder injury.
Mariners: Signed general manager Jack Zduriencik to a multiyear contract extension.

Let’s go around the NL Central:

• The Cardinals came from behind to tie the game late but lost 5-2 to the Pirates on first baseman Ike Davis’ three-run home run in the eighth inning. Pittsburgh outfielder Andrew McCutchen left the game with rib discomfort. 
• The Reds continue to struggle, losing 3-0 to the Cubs. Chicago third baseman Anthony Rizzo hit his 30th home run of the season in the victory before exiting early with back tightness.
• The Brewers, as you likely know, lost 4-1 to the Padres.