by ANTHONY WITRADO, Staff, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Milwaukee Brewers were one of two teams in the major leagues to have used only five starters this season, with the San Francisco Giants being the other. That was until the demotion of Manny Parra and injury to Dave Bush forced the Brewers to find fill-ins.

Right-hander Mike Burns was first up, and after the Minnesota Twins got their first looks at him, trouble followed.

The Twins touched up Burns for four runs in 5 2/3 on their way to a 6-4 victory Thursday afternoon at Miller Park. The victory gave the Twins the three-game series and left the Brewers with 11 losses in their last 15 games.

The Brewers finished 5-10 in interleague play and just 1-5 against the Twins, with their lone victory coming because the Twins looked more like the Bad News Bears for about 10 seconds Wednesday night rather than a major-league team. Minnesota, owners of the best interleague record since 2006, outscored the Brewers , 39-19, in the six games. The St. Louis Cardinals also lost, keeping the Brewers a game back for the lead in the National League Central.

Burns walked three, one of which scored and another brought in a run with the bases loaded. Burns had just 13 walks in 77 2/3 innings at Class AAA Nashville, but those free passes bit him in his first career major-league start.

"It's not something I want to do, especially to the leadoff guy," Burns said. "The walks definitely are what killed. My fastball was kind of all over.

"I don't walk guys. I just fell behind 2-0, 3-1 too many times. Those are situations where you still have to make pitches and I wasn't doing that."

While Burns wasn't great, he did keep the team close enough to give it a chance. Casey McGehee's two-run home run in the sixth inning broke the seal and Prince Fielder's 18th of the season one out later pulled the Brewers to within 4-3. But those runs were basically squandered in the top of the seventh.

Denard Span, who tripled, drew three walks and scored three times in his first game back from the disabled list, started the inning with a walk against left-hander Chris Narveson.

A single by Brendan Harris moved Span to third, and with runners on the corners, Jason Kendall was charged with a passed ball that allowed Span to score and Harris to take second. Joe Mauer, who was kept in check for most of the series - 1 for 8 before going 2 for 5 in the finale - doubled in Harris to extend the lead to 6-3.

"You'd like to have a shutdown (inning) and get right back to hitting," Brewers manager Ken Macha said. "What was deflating was walking the first guy."

Burns retired the Twins in order through the first three innings with the help of a first-inning double play. But after getting those first looks out of the way, the Twins lineup went to work.

Span walked to start the fourth and Harris singled off Burns' glove on a tailor-made double-play ball.

Justin Morneau took advantage of the gaffe by singling in Span for the game's first run. After Jason Kubel singled to load the bases, Michael Cuddyer worked a 10-pitch at-bat into a walk to plate Harris for a 2-0 lead.

Span tripled to start the fifth and Harris' sacrifice fly to center easily scored him.

Joe Crede homered in the sixth to chase Burns.

"I should have had that," Burns said of the double-play ball. "The play should have been made. It was one of those things, hit off the end of the bat, but it definitely should have been made."

Burns threw 33 pitches through the first three innings, but after that potential double play got away, he threw 31 in the fourth inning alone.

"Walks hurt him pretty good," Macha said. "The fourth inning wound up being a ton of pitches.

"They made an adjustment. They made outs more difficult for him to get."

TWINKIES FATTEN UP

Minnesota was 5-1 against the Brewers this season, outscoring them 39-19. The rundown:

Date Score Winner

5-22 11-3 Twins

5-23 6-2 Twins

5-24 6-3 Twins

6-23 7-3 Twins

6-24 3-4 Brewers

6-25 6-4 Twins

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