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 on Friday.
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 a total of six hits in those two games.
Burnes (8-5) posted a season-high strikeout total, getting 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 and two walks in a two-hitter.
Burnes took a knee behind the mound after a pitch to Matt McLain with two outs in the fifth inning. He said postgame that he was dealing with dizziness and that he was briefly cross-eyed.
During a seven-minute delay, Burnes was tended to by Brewers trainers and teammates.
Burnes spent several minutes trying to focus his vision. He also got a drink of water and remained in the game to get McLain to pop out to end the inning. He then struck out the side in the sixth and finished with a pitch count of 102.
"Luckily it was nothing crazy and I was able to go back out there for the sixth, but scary moment for sure," Burnes said.
Graham Ashcraft (4-7) was the tough-luck loser, matching Burnes for six innings while keeping the Brewers scoreless on three hits.
However, 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.
--Field Level Media