Monday, April 5, 2021 at 1:05:00 A.M. EDT
(ESPN)MILWAUKEE
Jose Berríos and three relievers combined on a one-hitter with 17 strikeouts as Minnesota beat Corbin Burnes and the Brewers 2-0 on Saturday in the season's best pitchers' duel so far.
Berríos (1-0) struck out 12 in six hitless innings but was pulled after Minnesota’s Byron Buxton broke a scoreless tie with a leadoff homer against Burnes (0-1) in the seventh inning — the first hit by either team. Only then did Berríos look at the scoreboard and realize he hadn’t given up any hits.
“I would have tried, but Rocco’s the manager,” Berríos said. “Whatever decision he’s going to make, I respect.”
The Twins wanted to make sure Berríos didn’t overexert himself in his first start of the season. He threw 84 pitches with 55 strikes.
Minnesota’s bullpen nearly completed the no-hitter.
Taylor Rogers struck out the side in the seventh, and Tyler Duffey retired the first batter in the eighth before walking Lorenzo Cain and giving up a single to Omar Narváez.
Duffey got out of the jam by striking out Daniel Vogelbach and getting Billy McKinney to hit an inning-ending fly to right. Alex Colomé retired the side in order in the ninth for his first save.
Berríos and Co. had to be just about perfect to outduel Burnes, who struck out 11 and didn’t walk anyone.
Neither team had a hit or walk until Buxton’s homer, which came on Burnes’ 87th and final pitch. Burnes and Berríos each hit a batter in the fifth inning.
This was the first game in which both teams were hitless through six innings since an Aug. 2, 2014, duel between Jake Peavy of the San Francisco Giants and Jacob DeGrom of the New York Mets. Both teams got hits in the seventh inning of that game, which the Mets won 4-2.
GRA: The Twins needed Ron Cey to hit a game tying HR in the ninth (chuckle). I just thought this was an unusual game, so I decided to mention it. Carry on.
--GRA
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