Burnes takes perfect game into the sixth, Yelich homers as Brewers hold off Pirates 11-8

Updated Jul. 1, 2023 9:10 p.m. ET

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Corbin Burnes is never going to complain about getting too much offensive support. Even if another big inning by his Milwaukee Brewers teammates might have played a small factor in spoiling a shot at history.

Burnes carried a perfect game into the sixth inning before briefly losing command following a lengthy break and Christian Yelich hit his 10th home run of the season as the Brewers held off the Pirates 11-8 on Saturday.

Burnes (6-5) retired the first 15 batters he faced then sat for the better part of 20 minutes while the Brewers erupted for six runs in the top of the sixth. When he returned, he wasn't quite as sharp. A four-pitch walk to Jared Triolo leading off the bottom of the sixth ended his bid for perfection. Another walk and a hit batter loaded the bases with two outs and Jack Suwinski ended Burnes' shot at being part of a no-hitter for the second time in his career with a clean two-run single to right field.

It was the only hiccup for Burnes, who struck out seven against two walks in seven innings to win for just the second time since May 12.

“(The layoff) makes it tough to stay in the groove and get going,” Burnes said. “I felt like in the sixth I lost a feel for it and it took six, seven pitches to really find it. It's not an excuse because you have to go out there and do your job.”

Burnes threw 65 of his 99 pitches for strikes and benefitted from some solid defense and a little bit of luck early on. The Pirates hit four line drives at 100 mph or faster over the first five innings, with each of them finding their way to the glove of one of Burnes’ teammates.

The 2021 NL Cy Young winner, who combined with then-closer Josh Hader to throw only the second no-hitter in Brewers history on Sept. 11, 2021, against Cleveland, briefly let the idea of a no-no cross his mind. He just didn't dwell on it.

“I knew where we were at after the fifth,” Burnes said. “Unfortunately, that's not something you can pitch to and unfortunately came out and walked two guys.”

Joel Payamps worked a perfect ninth for his second save after Milwaukee’s bullpen flirted with squandering a nine-run lead.

Yelich hit a three-run homer in the second off Johan Oviedo (3-9) to break it open. Jesse Winker added a bases-clearing double in the sixth as the Brewers bounced back from a walk-off loss on Friday to end Pittsburgh's four-game winning streak.

“(Friday) night is not an ideal loss, it's a tough one,” Yelich said. “But you've just got to come back and figure out how to win the next day.”

Raimel Tapia had two hits, including his third home run, for Milwaukee. Willy Adames, Blake Perkins and Brian Anderson had two hits apiece for the Brewers.

Oviedo came in having allowed more than three runs just once in his last nine starts. He didn't have his best stuff against the surging Brewers. Yelich's 422-foot shot over the right-field seats in the second highlighted a four-run outburst by Milwaukee. Oviedo stayed in to give Pittsburgh's bullpen a break a night after it had to cover 5 2/3 innings. He left after five innings, giving up a season-high eight runs on nine hits, with three walks and a strikeout.

“(Oviedo) battled being in the (strike) zone, a lot of deep counts,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. "We were hoping to get him through the sixth there. Just the command of the fastball was not very good.”

The Pirates trailed by nine before a six-run eighth that included Suwinski's 17th homer of the season that brought a sellout crowd to life. A 34-minute rain delay put a dint in the momentum and the Brewers held on to improve to 6-3 during a 10-game road trip that wraps up Sunday.

BUSH RELEASED

Milwaukee designated veteran reliever Matt Bush for assignment less than 24 hours after surrendering Carlos Santana's walk-off homer on Friday.

The 37-year-old Bush, acquired in a trade with Texas last August, struggled during his brief time in Milwaukee. He went 0-4 with a 5.94 ERA and three saves in 37 appearances for the Brewers, including an 0-2 mark with a 9.58 ERA in 12 games this season.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Pirates: OF Bryan Reynolds (low back inflammation) remains on the 10-day injured list despite being eligible to come off on Friday. General manager Ben Cherington said Saturday that he's hopeful Reynolds is “not far away” before adding, “we will wait for him to tell us.” ... 2B Ji-Hwan Bae exited the game late with a left heel injury.

UP NEXT

The series wraps on Sunday when Milwaukee's Colin Rea (4-4, 4.57 ERA) faces Pittsburgh's Rich Hill (7-7, 4.45).

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