It was almost one year ago when Reds starting pitcher Chase Burns introduced himself to Major League Baseball. The flamethrowing Burns announced his presence with authority against the Yankees, striking out each of his first five batters on June 24, 2025, in Cincinnati. On Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, Burns faced the Yankees for a second time. “It’ll be interesting because he’s kind of a different pitcher now," manager Terry Francona said before the game. "He’s got the slider that’s really becoming a weapon. He’s got more starts under his belt so it’s fun to watch his progression.” The 23-year-old Burns didn't bring triple-digit velocity, and he had to grind his way through the Yankees’ lineup. But he continued his season-long groove as the Reds took a 4-1 win over New York. Burns threw 96 pitches (64 strikes) in only five innings. “Just battling. I think execution could have been better," Burns said. "I think I was a couple of pitches away from six innings, but just how we battled as a team and got a good win.” While Burns allowed five hits and three walks to go along with seven strikeouts, the only run he yielded came on a one-out solo home run from Ben Rice in the bottom of the third inning. Rice, who hit an 0-2 fastball to right-center field, also took Burns deep in his debut last year. Burns' fastball garnered only two whiffs out of 20 Yankees swings, which is unusual for the pitcher.
