Reds' RHP Chase Burns Makes Historic Debut, But Yankees Rally
In an electric debut, Cincinnati Reds' rookie Chase Burns etched his name in the annals of baseball history by striking out the first five batters he faced, a feat unique within the expansion era. Despite his dazzling start, Burns couldn't maintain his initial momentum across the entirety of the game.
The 22-year-old right-hander, selected as the second overall pick in last July's amateur draft, went up against the New York Yankees on Tuesday night. Over five innings, Burns conceded three runs, a performance that would see him not factor in the decision after his team tied the game with three runs in the seventh inning.
Burns burst out of the gates, fanning his first five opponents until Jazz Chisholm Jr. managed a single. Although allowing six hits, Burns struck out eight batters, joining a select group of Cincinnati starters to rack up such numbers in a debut.
Echoing the achievements of Yankees' Al Leiter and Tampa Bay’s Wade Davis, Burns became one of just three pitchers since 1961 to record strikeouts for their first six outs in a debut, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Through his first 10 hitters, Burns struck out seven batters, yielding only one hit until Ben Rice hammered a slider deep into the Great American Ball Park's right field sun deck. Aaron Judge followed with a base hit before Burns retired the subsequent two batters. However, Chisholm singled again, allowing Anthony Volpe to drive a two-run triple past a diving TJ Friedl in center field.
Burns clocked an average of 98.1 mph with his fastballs, maxing out at 100.1 mph. His diverse pitch mix included 24 sliders, eight changeups, and a single curveball, showing Yankees hitters no mercy in the first inning.
While Burns threw 53 of 81 pitches for strikes, his control wavered at times, falling behind in counts before recovering with critical strikeouts.
As the fifth first-rounder from last year's draft to make the majors, Burns joins a group of talented young players including Nick Kurtz (Athletics), Jac Caglianone (Royals), Christian Moore (Angels), and Cam Smith (Astros).
