Right after signing a massive $105 million contract extension, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns stepped onto the mound at T-Mobile Park and delivered five scoreless innings, securing his 11th consecutive decision. That monster deal might signal the Reds are building around a next-gen competitive core, but Burns just showed everyone that future is already here, and he didn’t even wait for the ink to dry.
Burns Shuts Down the Diamond in a Massive Performance
Dude was dealing. This was his first game since signing that huge contract just three days earlier, and it was also his first start at our very own T-Mobile Park. We all know our beautiful ballpark has been a serious challenge for the Reds, a place where they’d lost 11 of 13 all-time before this game. Burns absolutely dominated, allowing only three hits, walking two, and striking out six in his five scoreless frames. It’s wild to think he picked up right where he left off before traveling to his first career All-Star game. His overall season numbers are ridiculous: a 12-1 record with a 2.42 ERA, giving up two or fewer runs in 16 of his 19 starts. He’s already at 107 2/3 innings pitched, just two shy of his career high from last year at any level. This kid, drafted second overall just two years ago, is absolutely locked in for the NL Cy Young watch list. With 124 strikeouts and a 4.2 bWAR, ranking him among the top four pitchers in the majors, this 23-year-old right-hander with that nasty 98-mph heater and less-hittable slider is seriously special.
What This Means for a Last-Place Reds Team
Even with Burns’s incredible performance, the Reds are still a last-place team, trying to manage his workload for his first full season in the bigs. This 4-2 win against our Mariners felt more about Burns’s individual rise and the Reds’ competitive arc than anything else for a team that’s looking toward the future. With the August 3 MLB trade deadline fast approaching, it sounds like the Reds are gearing up for at least five veteran trades. What kind of return they get for those pieces, and how many of their core pitchers they decide to keep, will really tell us if they can actually turn things around after this season. Speaking of that deadline, some other Reds players had their moments against the M’s. Former Mariner Eugenio Suárez, making his return to Seattle and its adoring fans, crushed his 13th homer of the season to give the Reds a 2-0 lead. He also made a ridiculous play in the fifth, robbing Randy Arozarena with a backhand grab and a jump throw from behind the bag. Elly De La Cruz also started the game with a leadoff blast, and Nathanial Lowe hit a hard opposite-field shot in the ninth to extend a one-run lead. Brock Burke, one of their most reliable relievers, also took over late. The Reds might be in last, but Burns is playing like he’s ready to lead them to something big. We’ll be watching to see how the rest of his season unfolds and what the Reds do at the deadline, because that kid is the real deal.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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