Corbin Burnes overcame his own medical delay to strike out 13 batters in six shutout innings as the visiting Milwaukee Brewers continued their dominance of the Cincinnati Reds with a 1-0 win Friday night.
Willy Adames doubled and scored the game's only run in the seventh inning as the Brewers captured their second straight 1-0 win over the Reds to pull into a tie with Cincinnati atop the National League Central.
Milwaukee has captured six of the eight meetings between the division rivals this season, including the 1-0 wins before and after the All-Star break. The Brewers held the Reds to six hits in those two games.
Burnes (8-5) was dominated over the first six innings, striking out a season-high 13 batters, including rookie star Elly De La Cruz three times on breaking balls.
Relievers Elvis Peguero, Joel Payamps and Devin Williams each threw a scoreless inning, with Williams earning his 21st save in 23 chances. The four Milwaukee pitchers combined for 18 strikeouts.
Burnes was at the center of a scary moment when he took a knee behind the mound after a pitch to Matt McLain with two outs in the fifth inning. During a seven-minute delay, Burnes was tended to by Brewers trainers and teammates, including Adames, who was first to come over and check on the pitcher.
Burnes spent several minutes appearing to try to focus his vision. He also got a drink of water, and remained in the game to get McLain to pop out to to end the inning. He then struck out the side in the sixth and finished with a pitch count of 102.
Graham Ashcraft (4-7) was the tough-luck loser, matching Burnes for six innings, keeping the Brewers scoreless on three hits.
But in the seventh, Adames opened with a line drive double off the top of the wall in right-center. A single by Owen Miller moved Adames to third and drove Ashcraft from the game.
Reliever Lucas Sims entered and allowed a flare single to center by Victor Caratini that scored Adames and give Milwaukee a 1-0 lead. The Brewers loaded the bases with two outs, but Joey Wiemer popped out to end the inning.
Adames made a leaping grab at shortstop of TJ Friedl's soft liner that was headed for left-center field in the first. Friedl delivered Cincinnati's first hit of the night when he singled to center with one out in the third.
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