MILWAUKEE — Corbin Burnes pitched six shutout innings and Owen Miller went 3 for 4 with a homer and a double to help the Milwaukee Brewers defeat the Kansas City Royals 5-1 on Friday night.
Burnes (4-2) walked four of the first 13 batters he faced, but settled down from there. He struck out seven and allowed only two hits while throwing a season-high 104 pitches. The four walks were one off his career high.
Kansas City got just three hits all night and scored its only run on Freddy Fermin’s two-out homer in the seventh off Joel Payamps. The Royals were seeking their first three-game winning streak of the season.
Miller homered in the third inning, doubled in the fifth and singled and scored in the seventh for his best performance since joining his home-state team.
Miller was born in the Milwaukee suburb of Mequon and played at Ozaukee High School in Fredonia, Wisconsin. He spent two seasons with the Cleveland Guardians before the Brewers acquired him last December.
This was Miller’s fifth career three-hit game, with three coming against the Royals.
The Brewers took a lead they wouldn't relinquish by scoring an unearned run off Josh Taylor (0-1) in the first inning. Willy Adames drew a two-out walk, stole second, advanced to third on an error and scored on Christian Yelich’s infield single.
Taylor made his second career start out of 131 appearances and lasted one inning in what was a designed bullpen game for the Royals. Max Castillo replaced Taylor and allowed two runs, three walks and six hits in 4 1/3 innings while throwing 80 pitches.
Miller extended the lead to 2-0 when he led off the third by ripping an 0-2 slider from Castillo into the left-field seats. The 404-foot drive was Miller’s first homer of the season.
Tyrone Taylor's two-out single up the middle off Castillo in the fourth brought home Brian Anderson and made it 3-0. Yelich and Anderson added RBI singles off Josh Staumont in the seventh.
TRAINER’S ROOM
C Salvador Perez was scratched from the Royals’ starting lineup Friday due to what manager Matt Quatraro described as “a little bit of blurry vision.” The Royals’ original lineup had Perez leading off as the designated hitter.
Quatraro said Perez already had received treatment from a specialist. “It’s nothing long-term or serious,” Quatraro said.
UP NEXT
RHP Zack Greinke (1-4, 5.18 ERA) pitches for the Royals and RHP Adrian Houser (0-0, 3.86) starts for the Brewers on Saturday night.
