Brewers 1, Reds 0: Milwaukee Takes Round One Of Central Showdown

Box Score

Starting Pitcher: Corbin Burnes - 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 13 K, 102 pitches, 64 strikes (62.7%)
Home Runs: None
Top 3 WPA: Corbin Burnes (.374), Devin Williams (.223), Joel Payamps (.152) 
Bottom 3 WPA: Andruw Monasterio (-.181), Christian Yelich (-.121), Brice Turang (-.110) 

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Corbin Cooks Up A Masterpiece
In one of his most impressive starts of the season, Corbin Burnes struck out 13 batters, a season-high total, through his six-inning start, giving up just two hits on the way. Everything seemed to be working for him, painting the edges of the zone like Leonardo da Vinci. He also posted an impressive 21 swings and misses.

The one frightening portion of his start was in the fifth inning. After striking out TJ Friedl, he appeared to stumble and came off the mound, almost collapsing. While the cause wasn’t clear at the time, it was later reported that it was due to a combination of heat and dehydration. With a high of 92 degrees and amid a Herculean effort, it makes sense.

If the Brewers want to stake their claim to the NL Central division and make a strong run at the postseason, we will need this version of Burnes throughout the second half. He’s currently at a 3.73 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP.

Bullpen Boys Back Up Burnes
The relievers didn’t let their starter down, as they kept one of the better-hitting teams in baseball guessing at the plate in the final three innings. Elvis Peguero, Joel Payamps, and Devin Williams went a perfect three innings, striking out five of their nine assigned batters. Williams recorded his 21st save of the season, putting him fourth in the National League.

Slow Game Ends With A Caratini Swing
While the Brewers performed slightly better at the plate (6 H, 3 BB) than the Reds (2 H, 2 BB), the game was scoreless for the first six innings. Nonetheless, the seventh inning started off with a bang, kicked off by a Willy Adames leadoff double. After a single and stolen base by Owen Miller, there were two runners in scoring position and zero outs.

Victor Caratini’s single to center field sent Adames home and gave the Brewers a small but very meaningful 1-0 lead. A Jesse Winker walk following two strikeouts loaded the bases and gave Milwaukee the potential to tack on some insurance, but a Joey Wiemer popout put an end to those plans.

What’s Next? 
The Brewers have two more games against the Reds before continuing their road trip. The Milwaukee schedule is brutal over this next stretch, with the next few series being against the Phillies, Braves, Reds, and Braves again. Any and all momentum is needed, and the team cannot afford to continue slumping at the plate if they hope to keep their strong position in the standings.

Freddy Peralta will face lefty Andrew Abbott in the second game of the series. Both the Reds and the Brewers are tied with an identical 50-42 record at the top of the NL Central.

Postgame Interviews

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

Tweet Highlight