Nelson boosts Brewers rotation
It took a while, but the Milwaukee Brewers' starting rotation is finally starting to click.
Boosted by strong performances from Jimmy Nelson, Zach Davies and Junior Guerra, Brewers starters have a combined ERA of just 3.37 over the last month, the fourth-best mark in the majors during that span.
Brewers' 2016 Starting Pitcher ERA Breakdown
| ERA | Rank in MLB | |
| Through May 8 | 6.41 | 30 |
| Since May 9 | 3.37 | 4 |
Nelson is leading the charge at Miller Park, where he has pitched at least seven innings and allowed two or fewer runs in his last four starts.
Another big win on Thursday night would tie former Brewer Yovani Gallardo for the longest such streak at Miller Park.
Most Consec. starts at Miller Park with 7+ IP and 2 or fewer runs
| Pitcher | Year | Dates | Streak |
| Yovani Gallardo | 2011 | 6/25 - 8/27 | 5 |
| Doug Davis | 2004 | 6/16 - 7/30 | 4 |
| Jeff Suppan | 2008 | 4/8 - 5/28 | 4 |
| Yovani Gallardo | 2012 | 7/31 - 8/22 | 4 |
| Jimmy Nelson | 2016 | 5/2 - Present | 4 |
Veteran slugger Chris Carter has been having a strong season at the plate, so strong in fact that his single in the Brewers' 4-0 win over the Oakland A's on Wednesday was a surprise.
A whopping 61.7 percent of Carter's hits have gone for extra bases, the third-highest rate in the majors.
Highest percentage of hits for extra bases
*Minimum 40 total hits
| Player | Team | % of hits |
| David Ortiz | Boston | 65.2 |
| Adam Duvall | Cincinnati | 62 |
| Chris Carter | Milwaukee | 61.7 |
| Matt Carpenter | St. Louis | 55.2 |
| Jose Bautista | Toronto | 55.1 |
Statistics courtesy of STATS, inc.