And what he did was mind-rattling. He struck out the first five Yankees, the first five major league hitters he faced with 99 miles an hour fastballs and a disappearing-act slider.
The subplot to this was that the Cincinnati Reds beat the Yankees, 5-4, in 11 innings. It ended when pinch-hitter Gavin Lux, 2 for 23, drove a single to center field.
The Reds have won 12 of their last 17 and are only 4 1/2 games behind the division-leading Chicago Cubs.
They are chipping away at negative numbers: 2-6 in extra innings, 9-11 in one-run games and 16 come-from-behind wins. And once again they are at their season-best four games over .500 (42-38) with the season half completed.
When the 11th inning began, the Reds were 1 for 23 with 12 strikeouts in extra innings this season. And they trailed, 4-3.
Will Benson was the free ghost runner when Elly De La Cruz’s cheetah-like speed enabled him to beat out a ground ball to first base, sending Benson to third. Spencer Steer singled to tie the game.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
New York pitcher Mark Leiter Jr.’s 21st career wild pitch moved runner to third and second and Tyler Stephenson walked on full count to fill the bases.
The Yankees employed a fifth infielder, moving left fielder Cody Bellinger to the second base bag. Didn’t matter. Lux belted the game-winner.
But the night belonged to the 22-year-old Italian-born Burns, the reason 39,257 jammed Great American Ball Park. They got their money’s worth with some change.
Burns’ first pitch was a 99 miles an hour fastball for strike one to Trent Grisham and he struck him out. He fell 3-and-0 behind Ben Rice then struck him out. And he finished the inning by striking out Aaron Judge.
Not only did all three strike out on 14 pitches, not one touched the ball. Not even a foul ball.
He struck out Cody Bellinger to open the second and struck out Paul Goldschmidt after falling behind 3-and-0. The five-in-a-row spell ended when Jazz Chisholm singled, but he struck out Anthony Volpe.
He only struck out one in the third but Chisholm was the only base runner.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
It came apart in the fourth when Ben Rice homered on his first pitch and the Yankees scored three runs and he left after five innings, trailing, 3-0.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand took him off the hook in the seventh against relief pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga, who took over for starter Carlos Rodon, seeking to become MLB’s first 10-game winner this season and had shut the Reds down for six innings on four hits.
The Reds loaded the bases with one out and even though there was a right-hander on the mound, manager Tito Francona permitted CES to hit and he pulled a three-run game-tying double into the left field corner.
Asked what his favorite strike out was, Burns told reporters after the game, “I don’t even know, I can’t remember a lot of them. Uh, I gotta say Judge. I’ve watched him and he’s a big dude. That’s probably my favorite one.”
After the three-run fourth, Francona permitted Burns to go back out for the fifth and he went 1-2-3 with another strikeout. His last hitter was Judge and he popped to first.
As Burns walked off the field after getting Judge, he said to himself, “Thank God.”
“He is one of the best hitters in the game. so to be able to do that was fun,” he added.
Despite displaying outstanding stuff and complete command, Burns showed the composure and demeanor of Tom Seaver in his eighth year.
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was amped up,” he said. “I felt at ease, if anything. Definitely the emotions were high, but I just go out there and smile and it was fun to do. That’s all I can say is that it was fun.”
The Yankees, losers in 9 of their last 12, weren’t smiling as they stirred the hot air and cooled the fans with their wild swings and misses.
Burns thought, and hoped, he would go back out for the sixth, “But Tito told me as soon as I came in after the fifth. I wanted to go back out there, I was still amped up. But I know they have bullets for me.”
Ian Gibaut, Brent Suter, Lyon Richardson and Tony Santillan silenced the Yankees on no runs and one hit for five innings. Connor Phillips gave up a run in the top of the 11th, but the Reds scored the two game-winners in the bottom of the inning.
“I just wanted to be aggressive after the guys kept the line moving,” Lux told reporters of his game-winning hit. “That’s the greatest feeling in the world to do that.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Burns acted as if the GABP mound has been his personal property for years and he said about taking it all in, “When I first got on the mound before I warmed up, I definitely looked around. After that first strikeout in the first inning, it all settled in for me and I knew it was real.”
As in the real deal.
Francona heard that Eddie Lehr, the scout who followed Burns, recommended him as the team’s No. 1 draft pick last year, was at the game.
“Where is he? I’m going to go kiss him right on the lips,” he said.
“I don’t know if anybody noticed, but I called Burns aside to make a couple of adjustments,” Francona said with a laugh after cracking the joke. “We kinda watch for everything and he didn’t get too excited. I think he enjoyed the competition. There is a lot to like.”
NEXT GAME
Who: N.Y. Yankees at Cincinnati
When: Wednesday, June 25, 7 p.m.
TV: FanDuel Sports
Radio: 1410-AM, 700-AM
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