CINCINNATI — One second, Corbin Burnes seemed robust. When he caught Reds leadoff hitter TJ Friedl a cutter for the second out of the fifth inning on Friday, Burnes ensured the primary double-digit strikeout efficiency of what has been a hard-fought season.
A second later, he was crouched behind the mound, momentarily overcome on a steamy summer time evening at Nice American Ball Park.
However after getting some medical consideration and a bottle of water, Burnes stayed within the recreation to complete the fifth, then returned for the sixth to place the ending touches on considered one of his greatest performances of 2023.
Burnes scattered two hits and two walks with out permitting a run and set a season excessive with 13 strikeouts — whiffing Reds rookie phenom Elly De La Cruz all thrice up — in a 1-0 Brewers win that knotted Milwaukee and Cincinnati atop the Nationwide League Central.
Victor Caratini’s RBI single within the seventh inning supplied the sport’s solely run as Burnes, Elvis Peguero, Joel Payamps and Devin Williams mixed for a two-hit shutout with a season-high 18 strikeouts, giving the Brewers their second straight 1-0 win over the Reds, with the All-Star break in between.
Mixed with the 14 strikeouts within the July 9 shutout, Milwaukee’s 32 Okay’s is probably the most with out permitting a run by any Main League staff over a two-game span within the Fashionable Period (since 1900), in accordance with OptaSTATS. It’s additionally the primary time in franchise historical past that the Brewers have received consecutive video games by the 1-0 rating.
“It’s cool, however we have to put extra runs on the board to take a bit of little bit of stress off the pitchers,” Brewers shortstop Willy Adames mentioned.
Because the groups returned from the break, the Cincinnati warmth was an element for everyone. It was a moist 91 levels — “Like a sauna,” Adames mentioned — when Reds right-hander Graham Ashcraft took the mound.
The Brewers knocked Ashcraft round on this ballpark on June 3, however Friday was totally different. Apart from the third inning, when Joey Wiemer was waved dwelling from second base on William Contreras’ base hit, solely to be lower down by a robust throw from Reds left fielder Spencer Steer, the Brewers couldn’t get something going within the recreation’s first six innings.
Burnes matched zeroes. Pitching off his curveball and slider, he struck out a number of batters in each inning besides a 1-2-3 fourth that ended with a strikeout of Steer, Burnes’ eighth of the evening. Within the fifth, with a runner aboard and two outs after two extra strikeouts, Burnes threw a first-pitch strike to Matt McLain after which stepped behind the mound, dropping right into a crouch as involved teammates converged.
“I really feel like within the third inning, too, he known as Caratini out of nowhere. It was a bit of bizarre,” mentioned Adames, the primary teammate to succeed in Burnes’ aspect within the fifth. “I used to be on high of him to ensure he had any individual proper subsequent to him simply in case an emergency occurred.”
Burnes was simply as stunned.
“I’m not likely certain what occurred,” he mentioned. “I threw a pitch to McLain and seemed in to Vic, and every thing went dizzy. And my eyes went cross-eyed.”
Inside two minutes, Burnes’ imaginative and prescient improved, and he stayed within the recreation. After retiring McLain on a pop-out, he retreated to the cool of the clubhouse for extra liquids and a chew of meals. However he didn’t keep lengthy; Brewers hitters coaxed 11 pitches from Ashcraft within the high of the sixth, forcing Burnes again to the mound shortly on the 87-pitch mark.
“I’ve by no means had that, so I didn’t know what was occurring or what to anticipate,” Burnes mentioned. “If it was going to be short-term, long-term. Scary within the second, however I’m glad that it went away fast.”
He appeared sharp as ever, putting out Jake Fraley, De La Cruz and Jonathan India on 15 pitches to complete the outing. In opposition to De La Cruz, it was extra of the identical. Every of the thrice Burnes confronted him on Friday, he acquired an ungainly swinging Strike 3 on a curveball within the dust.
“It’s bizarre, as a result of this can be a lineup that for probably the most half doesn’t swing a ton,” Burnes mentioned. “Their swing charges are on the low finish within the league. Final week they got here out swinging the bat. We didn’t know what to anticipate tonight.
“Early, they got here out swinging, and so they form of performed in our favor a bit of bit. We spun the ball a bit of bit extra. The curveball was actually good tonight.”
It marked the fifth time in Burnes’ profession that he struck out 13 or extra batters in a recreation. His profession excessive is 15 strikeouts on Aug. 11, 2021 at Wrigley Subject, on the evening Burnes matched the Major League record by putting out 10 consecutive batters in a single stretch.
Ultimately, the Brewers scored simply sufficient.
“We left runs on the market tonight, and we’re asking [the pitchers] to be excellent,” Brewers supervisor Craig Counsell mentioned. “They had been tonight. They did nice.”
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Revealed : 2023-07-15 03:39:00
