Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Chase Burns exploded onto the scene in his debut against the New York Yankees, striking out the first five batters he faced and limiting the American League’s most potent lineup.
But life comes at you fast in Major League Baseball, and on Monday, Burns was reminded just how quickly things could go south.
Facing the Boston Red Sox, Burns’ second start was supposed to be a showdown of aces. Garrett Crochet gave up five runs in six innings of work. Burns allowed seven runs and recorded a single out.
How Boston burned Cincinnati
Burns’ stuff wasn’t off on Monday. His fastball hovered around 99 mph, and his slider’s movement was just as potent as it was against New York. Yet, he generated one whiff, and the Red Sox made contact with every swing they took inside the zone.
Immediately, fans and broadcasters concluded that Burns was tipping his pitches.
“It’s hard to get hit as hard as this kid has with some of the stuff that he has in this first inning,” Lou Merloni said on Boston’s broadcast. “Could be he was tipping. You had first pitch sliders off the wall, sliders being hit 413, and changeups off the wall. First pitch. Yeah, I’d say so.”
Burns hit the showers quickly, surrendering seven runs (five earned) in a third of an inning. He allowed five hits and two walks without finding a strikeout.
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Cincinnati manager Terry Francona was open to the possibility that the Red Sox knew what was coming.
“I don’t know. That’s something that you always probably need to check,” he said, via Molly Burkhardt. “He threw some pitches that caught a lot of the plate, and they were definitely looking hard. And those are always things we try to check for. [Red Sox manager Alex] Cora is one of the best at that. … They were certainly ready and they were coming out hacking, and they were squaring it up pretty good.”
Chase Burns gave up 7 runs in 1/3 IP tonight….
Chase holds his glove with the muscles of motor tract 5 so he has no choice but to tip his slider…
He did it last time out vs the Yankees too but New York doesn’t seem to have this tell….
They missed it vs Severino yesterday… pic.twitter.com/FogRzaEzfF
— Prehension Athletics (@tommym8) July 1, 2025
Burns’ stuff is electric. It’s why he was the second pick in the 2024 MLB Draft and why he flew through the minors. But Major League hitters can hit triple-digit heaters if they don’t have to worry about the soft stuff, and there’s evidence to suggest his delivery gave that clue away.
Fortunately for the Reds, the biggest impact from Monday’s nightmare will be the long-lasting stain on the rookie’s ERA, which now stands at 13.50. This is an entirely fixable issue, and one that shouldn’t linger into his next outing.
“My hope is that it doesn’t get in the way of his next start,” Francona said. “Because that was tough on him, tough on us. But a lot of people were putting [their] arm around him. He’s a good kid. It’ll be real interesting to see his next start.”
Cincinnati will keep a close eye on its top prospect as he prepares for his next opportunity against an unforgiving Philadelphia Phillies lineup. Adversity is inevitable in the bigs, but the ability to perpetually adjust should get Burns back on track. Expect him to look the part on Sunday.
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