Corbin Burnes performance lifts Brewers to 4-0 win over Phillies
The outstanding performance of Corbin Burnes has propelled Milwaukee Brewers back to the top of the Central Division. In their six-game road trip on Thursday, the pitcher led the Brewers to a decisive 4-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Burnes allowed only two hits in the match and struck out 10 in eight innings. Outfielder teammate Christian Yelich’s three-run homer in the third inning also provided the necessary cushion for Burnes. Yelich himself came close to completing his fourth career cycle by finishing 3-for-4 in the game.
https://twitter.com/CyrtHogg/status/1682116585295601665
“We’re playing good baseball in all aspects of the game pretty well,” Burnes said. “We’re swinging the bat, throwing the ball, playing good defense and the bullpens been great. If we keep doing what we’re doing, it doesn’t matter on who we are going to play. If we play good baseball, we have a chance.”
The Brewers will be back at their home ground on Friday night. Next on their agenda is a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves. RHP Freddy Peralta will take take the mound for the Brewers against the Braves’ RHP Mike Soroka.
Burnes’ stellar performance
Milwaukee had an impressive 5-1 record during their trip through Cincinnati and Philadelphia, two hot teams before the All-Star Break. Previously, they started the unofficial second half of the season, trailing the Cincinnati Reds by half a game in the division. Now they have surged ahead, leading by 2 1/2 games.
Burnes has returned to his Cy Young-winning form from 2021 after a challenging period the previous month. He went 1-1 in June with a 4.99 ERA in five starts. This month, he boasts a flawless 4-0 record, a remarkable 1.33 ERA, and has only allowed eight hits while striking out 36 batters.
“He has set a pretty high standard with some good roll, but he’s pitching really well right now,” Brewers’ manager Craig Counsell said.
Throughout the game against the Phillies, Burnes maintained solid control. He let the Phillies lineup advance only one runner to second base. In the seventh inning, right-fielder Nick Castellanos reached second base after Bryce Harper, another right-fielder, grounded out with one out.
Burnes displayed exceptional accuracy, throwing 70 strikes out of his 100 pitches. His cut fastball and curveball kept Philadelphia hitters off-balance, earning the acknowledgment of Phillies manager Rob Thomson.
“There’s a reason why he’s an All-Star,” Thomson said. “You just have to give him credit. Cutter was good, curveball was good and he threw strikes. He was really good. He was throwing 93, 94 and he can locate it.”
Other members of the Brewers also played their roles in clinching the victory. Infielder Andruw Monasterio secured two hits, while catcher William Contreras added an insurance run with a single in the seventh inning.
Yelich continued to shine with an RBI in the last five games and notched his ninth three-hit game of the season. He showed great aggressiveness from the start, especially on a belt-high splitter, sending it soaring into the right-center bleachers.
“All you are trying to do is get a good pitch,” Yelich said. “Today, it was early. Tomorrow could be a different story,” Yelich said.
Parallel to Burnes’ stellar performance, Phillies’ RHP Taijuan Walker also gave the Brewers some struggles. Only Castellanos and Bryson Stott managed to get a hit in the game.
The match marked Walker’s first loss since they went against the New York Mets on June 1.
“They were on my splitter all day, and we stuck with the cutter and slider,” Walker said. “But I felt my velocity was ticking up that game. I felt good, but it was one bad inning.”
After this, Phillies are heading to Cleveland for a three-game showdown against the Guardians. LHP Ranger Suarez will be on pitching duty for the Phillies.
