Mudcats' Burnes dominates over 6 2/3 innings

Although he wasn't pleased with the beginning of Thursday's outing for Class A Advanced Carolina, Corbin Burnes felt a strong finish looming.
"The early parts of the game, I was walking guys, I was struggling mechanically, I was rushing to the plate and I wasn't gathering myself," the Brewers No. 20 prospect said. "I was just a little bit off mechanically and then something clicked in like the middle of the fourth inning."

The right-hander struck out Drew Turbin with runners at the corners for the second out in that frame, starting a streak of 10 in a row that capped Burnes' one-hit outing over 6 2/3 scoreless frames. The Mudcats went on to top the Frederick Keys, 7-2, at Five Counties Stadium.
Box score
The California native may have felt like he struggled early, but he didn't face much danger. Burnes retired the side in order in the first inning before 24th-ranked Orioles prospectRandolph Gassaway notched the Keys' only hit off him, a single to right field to lead off the second. Turbin drew a one-out walk before Burnes got Steve Laurino to bounce out to second and struck out Josh Hart.

The 22-year-old retired the side in order in the third before walking Gassaway and Alex Murphy with one out in the fourth, setting up his dominant finish.
 "The biggest thing for me in every outing is to go out and get ahead of hitters. I've been working on a lot of things lately and the biggest thing for me was just commanding the fastball and getting ahead of hitters," Burnes said. "So the plan of attack was basically what it is every night. Go out and get the fastballs in the zone early and then go to the breaking stuff."
In the seventh, Burnes struck out Murphy and induced Turbin to ground out to third. Then the Mudcats called on lefty Brad Kuntz, who needed one pitch to get Laurino to ground out to first.  
The outing marked the longest in Burnes' career with his 94 pitches being the most he's thrown in 12 Minor League starts.
"It's not my decision [to exit the game]. [Manager Joe Ayrault] comes out to the mound and he says, 'Hey, good job. Your night's over,'" Burnes said. "You know it's just, 'Yes, sir,' and take it off. [Pitch count] is the only thing I could think of. I would have liked to [finish the frame]. Every starter wants to go as deep as they can into a game. When it's time for me to come out, it's time."

In three starts against the Keys this season, the St. Mary's product has posted a 1.59 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 17 innings. Opponents are hitting .183 against him.
"I know their hitters pretty well -- me and [catcher Max McDowell] behind the plate. We know the strengths and weaknesses of each hitter," Burnes said. "I thought that tonight the defense did a great job of backing me up and Max did a great job behind the plate."
Brewers No. 2 prospect Corey Ray doubled, singled and scored a run for Carolina while No. 25 Jake Gatewood extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a single and drove in two.