Chase Burns kept turning history into a footnote Sunday, and the Reds turned a divisional matchup into a runaway. Cincinnati overwhelmed Pittsburgh 10-2 on August 2, with Burns earning his 12th straight decision and joining a tiny piece of Reds history.
The rookie right-hander became just the third Cincinnati pitcher to win 12 consecutive decisions, and the first to do it for the club since Brooks Lawrence in 1956. Burns also reached 200 career strikeouts, giving an already impressive afternoon an extra milestone before the game was over.
The Reds did most of their damage early. Sal Stewart opened the scoring with a leadoff homer, Tyler Stephenson doubled home a run, and Nathaniel Lowe followed with an RBI single. Ke'Bryan Hayes added a solo shot, while Elly De La Cruz punched in two more during a seven-run Cincinnati surge through the first four innings.
Stephenson later launched his 10th homer, giving him a two-hit, two-RBI day and helping Cincinnati keep its foot on Pittsburgh's neck. The Pirates never found a counterpunch after the opening frame, despite Bryan Reynolds' RBI single and a late run.
- ⚾ Burns' 12-game decision streak is the headline, but the 200-strikeout mark may be the bigger long-term talking point.
- 🌧️ Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly was ejected during the rain delay, his MLB-leading fifth ejection of the season.
- 🔥 Camilo Doval recorded his first strikeout as a Pirate after arriving in a deadline-week move.
That is the fan debate now: Is Burns already becoming the face of Cincinnati's next run, or is this streak simply the loudest spark on a team still searching for consistency?