Brewers bullpen blows Burnes’ strong start, offense quiet in 4-2 loss to Giants

Box Score

Corbin Burnes was excellent on Monday night. That’s about the only part of the Brewers that can be described that way from Monday’s game.

Making his fourth start of the season, Burnes was on his game again. Through five innings, he had just allowed two baserunners and faced one batter over the minimum. It started to unravel a bit in the sixth when a walk and hit by pitch put two runners on base, but he struck out the side to keep the Giants off the board. He struck out two more in the seventh before being pulled after a single to Luis Gonzalez, and was replaced by Trevor Gott. The inning ended when Gonzalez was caught stealing by a good throw from Victor Caratini to Kolten Wong that was originally called safe, challenged and overturned. In total, Burnes pitched 6.2 innings and allowed just two walks and two hits, with one hit batter and eleven strikeouts.

Meanwhile, the Brewers did manufacture one run for Burnes. In the second, Keston Hiura led off with a single and advanced to second, then scored on a single from Mike Brosseau. It was the only run they scored while Burnes was in, but it was good enough to give him the lead when he left the game.

Unfortunately, the bullpen could not hold it. Gott returned for the eighth and started well, recording two outs before Curt Casali doubled. That set up Joc Pederson, who homered to center and put the Giants ahead 2-1. Gott finished the inning but the damage was done. In the bottom of the eighth, the Brewers recorded two outs before Willy Adames came up. He gave the team some life again with a home run to left center, tying the game at 2-2.

Jake Cousins came in to hold the tie in the ninth, and like Gott, the inning started out well enough with two outs to start the inning. However, he issued a four-pitch walk to Wilmer Flores, and then Luis Gonzalez made him pay for that with a home run to right field, and the Giants were back ahead 4-2. Cousins got into more trouble allowing a double to the next batter, then issued an intentional walk before getting a strikeout to end the inning.

The Brewers had one more chance to score in the ninth, but went down in order against Giants closer Camilo Doval as the Giants took the game.

Mike Brosseau was the only Brewers batter to record multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Willy Adames, Christian Yelich, and Keston Hiura all had a hit a piece as well, but the team only had one walk on offense in the game compared to nine strikeouts.

The Brewers are back on the road tomorrow as they head to Pittsburgh to face the Pirates. Brandon Woodruff faces Mitch Keller in the first game of the series tomorrow night. First pitch is at 5:35 PM.