Burns Dazzles in Debut as Reds Blank Pirates Behind Steer and Benson

Cincinnati’s offense may not have been a fireworks show on Monday night at Great American Ball Park, but it was efficient enough to matter. The Reds scratched out two runs against a Pirates lineup that looked completely overmatched, and that was plenty in a pitching clinic that saw Chase Burns announce his arrival to the big leagues in emphatic fashion. Final score: 2-0 Reds, and frankly, it could have been worse for Pittsburgh.

Burns Makes a Statement

Chase Burns was the story of this game, plain and simple. The young right-hander worked five innings of pure dominance, allowing just one hit while striking out seven batters. Yes, he walked three, which kept his pitch count elevated and sent him to the showers after five. But let’s not get caught up in the pedestrian stuff like the free passes. What mattered was that Burns was absolutely nasty, painting corners when he needed to and overpowering hitters when he wanted to. This was a debut that will be remembered, not forgotten in the shuffle of spring baseball.

Braxton Ashcraft took the loss, which feels a bit unfair given that he actually pitched reasonably well. Six innings, four hits, two earned runs, three strikeouts of his own. The problem? He couldn’t escape the fourth inning without damage, and in a 2-0 game, that’s the difference between winning and losing. Ashcraft didn’t pitch badly. The Pirates simply didn’t give him anything to work with offensively, and that’s a recipe for disaster.

Benson and Steer Do Just Enough

Will Benson cranked a triple in the fourth inning, a sharp line drive to right that drove in Eugenio Suárez. It was the kind of at-bat that showed patience and execution, the kind of hit that separates good hitters from great ones. Spencer Steer followed with a sacrifice fly, and suddenly the Reds had all the runs they’d need.

Sal Stewart got on base three times in this game, which tells you something about Pittsburgh’s lack of offensive firepower. You can’t blame the Pirates’ defense for that. Sometimes baseball rewards pitching and punishes silence from the other team’s bats, and that’s exactly what happened Monday night.

Bullpen Shuts the Door

Connor Phillips got the save in the ninth, walking two batters but ultimately escaping unscathed. The kid got his first career save, and while it wasn’t pretty, it counted all the same. A save is a save, even if your heart rate accelerates watching it.

This game belonged to the pitchers, and the Reds’ staff proved they can dominate when everything clicks. Burns was electric. The bullpen was sharp. Ashcraft wasn’t bad, but he couldn’t match what Cincinnati threw at him. That’s baseball in March when the weather’s cool and the fastballs sit heavy. The Pirates went home empty-handed on Monday night, and they should have seen it coming from the moment Burns took the mound. Sometimes the best teams lose games like this. Pittsburgh? They’re just trying to figure out if they can compete at all.