SAN FRANCISCO — It certainly wasn't expected for Chase Burns to have a rough start for the Reds. They happen, even to All-Star starting pitchers having exceptional seasons. But it was the opponent and the way the Giants got to him in Cincinnati's 5-0 loss on Monday at Oracle Park that was really surprising.
Against a struggling San Francisco club that ranks last in the National League in runs scored, Burns was hit hard and often. He lasted only 3 2/3 innings and tied a season high with five runs allowed while giving up nine hits and one walk with five strikeouts.
The outing raised Burns' ERA from 2.51 to 2.77 in 25 starts this season. San Francisco entered the night losers of four straight games. Since July 31, the Giants had averaged a Major League-worst 2.95 runs per game while losing 16 of 21.
In the bottom of the first inning, the Giants pounced immediately on Burns as their first four batters reached with hits – three of them over 100 mph in exit velocity – to take a quick 2-0 lead. Drew Gilbert hit a ground-rule double to lead off the rally with singles from Rafael Devers and Jung Hoo Lee. Turner Hill added an RBI double before Lee was thrown out at the plate for the first out.
With two outs in the second inning, No. 9 batter Christian Koss hit a single to right field before Gilbert lofted a softly hit double near the foul line in short left field. That set up Devers, who hit a 2-2 fastball at 108.9 mph to right-center field for a three-run homer and a 5-0 Giants lead.
Burns worked around a leadoff walk in a scoreless bottom of the third inning, but the fourth inning began with Grant McCray's sharply hit double through the gap in right-center field. Koss followed with a comebacker that Burns couldn't field for a single before Gilbert grounded into a double play at second base.
With Devers up, manager Terry Francona emerged from the dugout and made the pitching change to lefty reliever Sam Moll, who got a routine grounder to second base that ended the inning.
Overall, the Giants had eight hard-hit balls against Burns, which was tied for third-most in his brief career.