Corbin Burnes wins pitcher's duel as Brewers beat the Reds
On Friday night at Great American Ball Park, Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Corbin Burnes delivered one of the best starts of his career. For six innings, Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft went stride-for-stride with the former Cy Young winner.
Ashcraft entered the seventh inning looking like he could pitch a complete game shutout, but instead he didn’t record another out. Reds manager David Bell pulled Ashcraft after he allowed two hits, and then Reds reliever Lucas Sims allowed the go-ahead RBI single to Brewers catcher Victor Caratini.
Ashcraft only allowed one run in six-plus innings, but the margin for error was that thin in a 1-0 loss to the Brewers.
Heading into a series between the two contenders in the NL Central, the Reds and the Brewers both used the All-Star break to line up their rotations for a pivotal series between the first and the second place teams.
The Brewers took advantage of the All-Star break and moved up Burnes’ start so that he could pitch in the series opener. The Reds countered with second-year starter Graham Ashcraft, who pitched poorly in May and June but started to get back into a rhythm after a stint on the injured list
Burnes pitched six scoreless innings on Friday night at Great American Ball Park and struck out 13 batters. Ashcraft was just as good for most of the game.
Ashcraft only struck out two batters, but he’s usually at his best when he’s forcing ground balls. When Ashcraft was in a rut earlier this season, he got away from that.
Just six weeks ago, Ashcraft looked lost on the mound. He didn’t have any confidence in his two-seam fastball. He consistently threw sliders right down the middle. His mechanics weren’t consistent.
Following a trip on the injured list, Ashcraft worked on adjustments that helped him in all of those areas. Until the seventh inning on Friday, the Brewers could hardly do any damage against him. He mixed all three of his pitches, used the entire strike zone and forced weak contact.
Ashcraft entered the seventh inning at just 65 pitches, and he had his third straight quality start. But the Brewers pounced on two good pitches from Ashcraft to take the lead. He allowed a double on a low-and-away slider and a single on a cutter that landed way above the strike zone. After those two hits, Ashcraft’s day was over. One batter later, the Brewers took the lead against Sims.
Sims didn’t allow another hit in the seventh inning, but that one run was the difference.
Takeaways from Reds vs. Brewers
1. Burnes had the type of performance that only a handful of pitchers in MLB can come up with. Burnes had Reds hitters flailing at his curveball. He forced more off-balanced swings than the Reds have had all year. He also has one of the best cutters in baseball, and the Reds were stuck all game between jumping on the cutter and waiting for the curveball. The Reds only managed two hits against the three-time All-Star.
2. In the fifth inning, it looked like Burnes would have to leave the game. After throwing a pitch, he took a knee behind the mound. A trainer rushed onto the field, and Burnes drank water and wiped a towel over his head to cool down during a long delay. Burnes threw a few warmup pitches, stayed in the game and continued his incredible outing.
3. The Reds had their seventh sellout of the season with a crowd of 41,516. The Reds have been getting some of their best crowds in years as they compete for a division title, but the Reds weren’t able to deliver another magical moment on Friday.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Corbin Burnes wins pitcher's duel as Brewers beat the Reds
