MILWAUKEE -- Coming off one of his worst starts of the season, Jimmy Nelson decided to not overthink things and just stuck to his usual routine.

The decision paid off greatly Tuesday night, as the Milwaukee Brewers' young right-hander was dazzling in a 7-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Miller Park.

Nelson (11-10) couldn't get out of the fourth inning last Wednesday at Cleveland, when he allowed five runs on four hits on a season-high eight walks.

He didn't walk anyone this time around, and he held the Pirates to a run on four hits while striking out six over seven innings.

"Walks are the biggest thing a pitcher can control," Nelson said. "You'd rather have no walks and give up a few more hits here and there because sometimes a lot of those hits can turn into outs. Just force contact and let your defense work."

Milwaukee's offense made things easy for Nelson, getting an early jump on right-hander Gerrit Cole, who lasted a career-low four innings.

Cole (15-8) gave up four consecutive hits to open the game, including a double by first baseman Adam Lind that made it a 3-0 game.

Milwaukee moved in front 4-0 before Cole could get out of the first inning, then took a 5-0 lead in the second on an RBI single by Jonathan Lucroy.

"I love that we were aggressive early in the count," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "Then when we got to two strikes, we battled and found a way to put a ball in play.

"I thought we jumped on him. That first inning is a time where these good pitchers maybe aren't quite into the rhythm of the game. That's often the best time to get them. We were aggressive early and had good at-bats."

The five runs Cole permitted matching a career high. He allowed eight hits and a walk while striking out two.

"I didn't work down, I didn't work efficiently," Cole said. "I was up in the zone. My stuff was kind of going east to west mostly, not up and down. That's kind of why they were able to lift the ball over the infield, stay on breaking balls, and then there was nothing quality out of the zone, either, making them swing aggressively early in the count at pitches that we wanted them to swing at."

Pittsburgh finally got on the board in the fifth, when shortstop Jung Ho Kang led off with a double, then scored on an single up the middle by second baseman Neil Walker.

Nelson got first baseman Pedro Alvarez to fly out, and he ended the inning with a double play. He allowed just one hit the rest of the way.

"He's shown us good stuff," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "There's usually one inning in there where we've been able to get after him. We didn't have that inning tonight. We pushed a couple different times and he pushed back. Executed his pitches, moved his fastball around and the breaking ball, threw it for strikes and threw it for chase."

Alvarez cut into the lead with a solo home run in the eighth off right-hander Corey Knebel, but the Brewers added two more in the bottom of the inning on a single by shortstop Jean Segura -- his third hit of the day.

"It was a big hit by Seggy," Counsell said. "The two-RBI single gave us some breathing room."

The Brewers would need it in the ninth when right-hander David Goforth allowed back-to-back, two-out, solo home runs to third baseman Aramis Ramirez and Kang, then gave up a double to Walker.

Looking to prevent a comeback, Counsell called on right-hander Francisco Rodriguez. The closer got Alvarez to fly out to center on one pitch, locking down his 32nd save of the season.

NOTES: Milwaukee selected the contract of RHP Zach Davies from Triple-A Colorado Springs, where he was 1-2 with a 5.00 ERA in five starts after being acquired from the Orioles in a trade for OF Gerardo Parra. Davies will make his major league debut Wednesday against the Pirates. ... Pittsburgh recalled OF Jaff Decker, LHP Bobby LaFromboise and C Elias Diaz from Triple-A Indianapolis. The Pirates also selected the contracts of OF Travis Snider and RHP Radhames Liz from Indianapolis and reinstated RHP Rob Scahill from the disabled list. To clear space on the 40-man roster, RHP Casey Sadler was transferred to the 60-day DL.