Burnes, McCutchen, Brosseau lead Brewers past Blue Jays 5-4
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Corbin Burnes pitched into the eighth inning, Andrew McCutchen and Mike Brosseau homered, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on Saturday.
The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner extended his winning streak to a season-high three games, but he wasn’t as crisp as in a 2-0 win over the Cardinals on Monday.
“He's picked up right where he left off last year,” Brewers manager Craig Counselll said. “In the middle innings, I thought he really got cooking.”
In his first career start against Toronto, Burnes (6-4) allowed home runs to Matt Chapman and Bo Bichette and an RBI groundout by Cavan Biggio. He struck nine and walked two, then turned over a 5-3 lead with runners at first and second and two outs in the eighth to Devin Williams, who fanned Alejandro Kirk.
“Those two lazy pitches that were hit out for homers, other than that, it was pretty good,” Burnes said. “Lot of room to grow with the cutter. It was kind of all over the place. I got lazy with it.”
Chapman doubled with two outs and scored on a base hit by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. off Josh Hader, but the closer escaped with his 22nd save when Gabriel Moreno grounded out to first.
Five days earlier, Burnes stymied the Cardinals on two hits, two walks and 10 strikeouts in seven innings.
The Brewers gave him an early 5-0 lead.
Brosseau’s home run leading off the third chased Blue Jays starter Yusei Kikuchi (2-4).
McCutchen hit his sixth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the second. Willy Adames had an RBI single before McCutchen’s homer.
Tyrone Taylor’s hit drove in a run in the first for Milwaukee.
Kikuchi allowed five runs, two earned, on six hits with five strikeouts, a walk, a wild pitch and a hit batter. He slipped to 1-3 in his last seven starts.
“You got to keep working at it," Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said of his pitcher. “Again, I’m not going to sit here and make excuses for him. He hasn’t pitched well. He put us in a tough spot today.”
Kikuchi knows it.
“I’ve struggled the last few outings mostly with command, falling behind in the count and then pitches where I try to get back into the count are the ones that are getting hit pretty hard," he said through an interpreter.
Toronto’s bullpen shut down Milwaukee’s offense the rest of the game. Trent Thorton relieved Kikuchi and handled the third and fourth. Max Castillo pitched scoreless ball in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth.
Kirk was back in the lineup as Toronto’s DH. In Friday night’s 9-4 win, his hand got clipped by the backswing from Jonathan Davis in the seventh. Kirk stayed behind the plate for the rest of Davis’ at-bat, but he was replaced by Moreno when the Blue Jays went to the bullpen. Precautionary X-rays were negative.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: Gurriel got hit near his right elbow as he checked his swing in the third. After attention from the trainer, he stayed in the game. ... OF George Springer was out of the lineup for a third consecutive game with an elbow issue. ... INF Santiago Espinal got the day off. “We’re going to play 18 or 19 (in a row) so everybody’s going to get a day,” Montoyo said. Espinal pinch hit in the ninth.
Brewers: Brosseau got hit in the back in the first. ... OF Hunter Renfroe missed a third straight game with a calf injury.
BLUE JAYS ROSTER MOVES
C Zack Collins was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo and activated for the game. INF Otto Lopez was optioned to Buffalo.
BREWERS ROSTER MOVES
RHP Trevor Gott (right groin) and RHP Jandel Gustave (right hamstring) were reinstated from the 15-day injured list. RHP Peter Strzelecki was optioned to Triple-A Nashville. RHP Miguel Sánchez was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 22, with right UCL discomfort.
UP NEXT
RHP José Berríos starts for the Blue Jays and RHP Chi Chi González (0-1, 7.36) goes for the Brewers when the three-game series concludes on Sunday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
BREAKING Canadian Blood Services apologizes to LGBTQ2S+ community for discriminatory blood donation policy
Canadian Blood Services issued an apology on Friday to the LGBTQ2S+ community for what it now admits was a harmful and discriminatory blood donation policy that prevented sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people from donating blood and plasma.
BREAKING 'Just wait': Toronto mayor hints that WNBA team is coming to the city amid multiple reports
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says that she is hopeful an announcement could be made soon amid multiple reports that a WNBA team is coming to Toronto in 2026.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.