BOSTON – Cincinnati Reds’ emerging talent, Chase Burns, experienced a stark contrast in performance during his second major league start against the Boston Red Sox on Monday night. After an impressive debut, where he made history by striking out the first five hitters he faced against the New York Yankees, the 22-year-old right-hander struggled markedly at Fenway Park. Burns was rocked for seven runs—five of which were earned—and managed to secure only one out in the game, resulting in a 13-6 defeat at the hands of the Red Sox.
The Red Sox were quick on the offensive, with Trevor Story leading the charge, hitting a three-run homer as Boston amassed five hits and drew two walks off the young pitcher in the first inning. “I hope it doesn’t affect his next start,” remarked Reds manager Terry Francona. “That’s hard. It’s tough on him and the team. Many people were supportive, putting their arm around him. He’s a promising talent, and it’ll be quite revealing to watch his next outing.”
Burns, who was selected second overall by the Reds in the amateur draft earlier this July, began the game by walking Boston’s leadoff batter, Jarren Duran, with a blazing 99.9 mph fastball. Reflecting on the dismal outing, Burns said, “Just trying to let it go and return to analyzing what worked and what didn’t and build from there.” Questions arose during the post-game discussion about whether Burns was giving away his pitches.
“That’s something we always need to monitor,” Francona explained. “Some of his pitches were in the hitter’s sweet spot, and they seemed to be anticipating the fastball, which is something we’ll check.” Francona also acknowledged that Boston’s manager, and his former player, Alex Cora, has a keen eye for picking up on such details. “Cora’s among the best in picking those things up,” he noted. “Boston certainly came ready, swinging aggressively and making solid contact consistently.”
Despite possessing a powerful fastball near 100 mph and a sharp slider in the upper 80s, Burns was unsure if pitch-tipping led to his struggles. “Not sure. They certainly got good wood on many pitches, although I made a lot of mistakes,” he admitted. “Hard to pinpoint one thing.”
Burns’ defensive support faltered as well. A grounder from Roman Anthony led to an error when second baseman Matt McLain’s throw resulted in a failed force-out attempt and landed in shallow left field. Abraham Toro soon lined a single for the first run, followed by Carlos Narváez smacking the subsequent pitch for an RBI double off the iconic Green Monster. Story then launched a 1-1 slider deep into the bleachers, quickly escalating the score to 5-0.
Story had taken extra batting practice focused on fastballs earlier, potentially part of Boston’s strategy. “He’s got remarkable talent,” Story reflected. “We devised and executed a solid plan and followed it through the game.”
The poor start came to a close for Burns when David Hamilton added another RBI single, prompting Francona to pull the young pitcher after his second walk of the evening. Roman Anthony produced an additional RBI single against reliever Brent Suter, finalizing Burns’ rough statistics for the night.
The game showcased the challenges that even the most promising newcomers face in the major leagues and provided lessons that Burns and his team will need to consider moving forward.