Through rain, rough conditions, Burns shines for 12th straight win

CINCINNATI -- For the Reds final game before Monday's Trade Deadline, Chase Burns worked through the rain, rough mound conditions and a unique delay while getting plenty of boost from hitters -- trade chips and non-trade chips alike.

In the end, the pitching line showed that Burns cruised through six innings and struck out nine in the Reds' 10-2 win over the Pirates that gave them three of four games in the series at Great American Ball Park.

“It sucked. It was, of course, raining constantly and not knowing if we’re going to put the tarp on or not," said Burns, who allowed one run, two hits and two walks while throwing 88 pitches and left with a 9-1 lead. "I knew both teams wanted to get that game in, so it was just kind of a grind -- but got through it.”

The Reds are 16-5 in the 21 games Burns has started this season. He is 13-1 with a 2.35 ERA and 137 strikeouts in a career-high at any level 118 2/3 innings.

“I think every time you take the ball, your job is to put up as many zeroes as possible and try to put the team in the best position to win," Burns said. "I take pride in limiting runs and trying to win ballgames.”

Burns -- who was signed to a seven-year, $105 million contract last month -- earned his 12th consecutive win. That's something only two pitchers have done for the franchise since 1900. The last to do it was Brooks Lawrence, who won 13 straight (three in a relief) in 1956. Ewell Blackwell won 16 straight decisions in 1947.

The pivotal point of the game was when the skies opened with steady rain during the top of the fourth inning. Burns, who had faced the minimum without a hit allowed through three innings, hit leadoff batter Jake Mangum in the fourth and gave up a one-out RBI single to center field by Bryan Reynolds as showers only intensified.

As Burns faced Esmerlyn Valdez, the field became unplayable and umpires ordered the grounds crew out to repair the infield with dry dirt and rakes. The tarp wasn't used and an unofficial delay of 25 minutes kept Burns idle.

After he walked Valdez upon resumption, he notched a strikeout and got a grounder back to the mound.

“It definitely didn’t feel good just sitting in the dugout," Burns said. "I kind of mentally just locked back in and I was pumped up to go out there, just pissed off and kind of got through it.”

With a low pitch count (74) through five innings, Burns was given the sixth inning and struck out the side. He retired eight of his final nine batters, including his recording the 200th strikeout of his young career.

“I felt like his stuff actually got better when he came back out," catcher Tyler Stephenson said.

Manager Terry Francona also felt like Burns' stuff kicked up a notch after the hiatus. The Reds are trying to manage the 23-year-old All-Star's innings load in his second pro season. While that was part of the decision making, Francona felt fine with letting Burns continue.

“We kind of counted it like it was one inning when he was sitting there. And when we got up to 80-something that was enough but I thought he pitched like an ace," Francona said. "The other thing, we want to get him to a certain point too. We don’t want to be messing around next year thinking, ‘God, we didn’t get him far enough.’ As long as he’s healthy, he looked just fine.”

Among Reds who could be moved ahead of 6 p.m. ET Monday, Nathaniel Lowe was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, two doubles, a walk and two runs scored. Stephenson, who was 2-for-4, hit an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning on the heels of throwing a runner out trying to steal on Burns in the top of the first.

Then in an emotional moment during the bottom of the eighth inning, Stephenson hit an opposite-field homer to right field. A first-round pick of the Reds in 2015, Stephenson also hit a homer in his first big league at-bat vs. the Cubs on July 27, 2020.

If he is indeed traded as expected, Stephenson has successfully bookended his tenure with homers for Cincinnati.

“Pretty surreal," said Stephenson, a free agent after the season. "It’s been a long couple of weeks and stuff. To have that first hit be a home run and potentially the last, it’s pretty cool. A lot of emotions. It’s been a fun ride.”