Brewers on wrong end of historic pitching duel, lose to Twins 2-0

Box Score

Corbin Burnes came out on fire for the Brewers in his first start of the season. Unfortunately, the Brewers offense was kept on ice by the Twins pitching staff.

Let’s start with the good. It was an amazing game for pitching on both sides. Both starting pitchers, Corbin Burnes and Jose Berrios, were stellar. They were both perfect through four innings. Both ended up losing their perfect games in the fifth inning, and it was by hitting a batter on each side. They each kept the no-hitter going, though. In fact, through six innings, it was a historically good pitching duel.

In the seventh inning, it changed on both sides. After getting Jorge Polanco out to start the inning, Byron Buxton got the first hit of the game. It was also the first run of the game, as Byron Buxton homered to center to put the Twins on the board 1-0. That would end Burnes’ day, with that his only big mistake. He pitched 6.1 innings, allowing just that one hit and one run. He didn’t walk a batter, and he struck out 11 of the 21 batters that he faced. He only threw 87 pitches, but with the season just starting, it was likely just for safety.

While it made sense to take Burnes out there, on the other side, the Twins made an interesting decision of their own. Entering the seventh, Jose Berrios did not come back out to pitch. With only 84 pitches thrown and still in the middle of a no-hitter, manager Rocco Baldelli decided to pull Berrios from the game and bring in reliever Taylor Rogers. It worked for the Twins, as Rogers struck out the side to keep the Twins’ no-hitter going. However, in the eighth, Tyler Duffey came on in relief and the no hitter came to an end, as Omar Narvaez collected the Brewers’ only hit of the game. Duffy also walked Lorenzo Cain before that, but neither would score. The Brewers wouldn’t put together another threat after that, as Alex Colome finished the game for the Twins with a perfect ninth, finishing the one-hitter for the Twins pitching staff.

In the Brewers bullpen, the relievers kept the Brewers in the game. Brent Suter finished the seventh for Burnes, but ran into a little bit of trouble in the eighth. Three consecutive singles from Andrelton Simmons, Nelson Cruz, and Luis Arraez gave the Twins their second run, but that was all they managed. Suter finished the day with a run allowed and a strikeout. J.P. Feyereisen pitched the ninth for the Brewers, retiring the side in order and added a strikeout to that.

Overall, 30 of the 54 outs in this game came via the strikeout. The Brewers pitchers collected 13 strikeouts, while the Twins had 17. Every member of the Brewers’ starting lineup struck out at least one time, with Christian Yelich and Jackie Bradley Jr. each collecting three. Only three batters reached base in the game: Keston Hiura (hit by pitch), Lorenzo Cain (walk), and Omar Narvaez (hit).

The series concludes with the rubber match tomorrow afternoon. In an Easter matinee, Adrian Houser of the Brewers will face Michael Pineda of the Twins. First pitch is at 1:10 PM.