Overview
- Burns, facing the Angels on Friday in Cincinnati, was knocked out in the sixth after two early walks, back‑to‑back singles, a bases‑loaded walk, a Zach Neto two‑run homer, and later a Josh Lowe solo shot.
- The right‑hander entered the start with a 0.82 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 11 innings, supported by a 44% whiff rate that had overwhelmed hitters in his first two outings.
- His arsenal features a 98.5 mph four‑seam fastball and a low‑90s slider that has produced about a 56% whiff rate, with an occasional changeup to keep hitters off balance.
- Sportsbooks leaned into his strikeout upside before the game, with a Caesars line of Over 7.5 strikeouts, and an ESPN analyst, Jeff Passen, had floated early NL Cy Young talk.
- The stumble follows a rare early‑career strikeout run that set him apart, while some analysts flag possible innings limits even as the Reds open 8–5 behind a strong rotation.