Cincinnati Reds top prospect Chase Burns made big-league history before his second inning of work was over June 24 at Great American Ball Park.
Facing the high-octane New York Yankees lineup in his big-league debut, last year’s No. 2 overall draft pick struck out the first five batters he faced.
Burns is the first MLB pitcher to pull that off in the expansion era (since 1961).
Burns, whose first two pitches were 98- and 100-mph fastballs for called strikes, struck out Trent Grisham, Ben Rice and Aaron Judge swinging in the first.
He then caught Cody Bellinger looking at a 3-2 changeup leading off the second, and fell behind Paul Goldschmidt 3-0 before coming back to strike out the former MVP swinging at a slider.
After a Jazz Chisholm single, Burnes then struck out Anthony Volpe to end the second.
The right-hander retired nine of the first 10 he faced overall until Rice led off the fourth with a first-pitch home run.
Burns made one of the most anticipated Reds debuts in recent memory Tuesday night after going 7-3 with a 1.77 ERA in 13 starts combined starts at three minor-league levels this season.
He’s Baseball America’s eighth-ranked prospect in baseball.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Chase Burns makes MLB history in first two innings of Cincinnati Reds debut vs. Yankees
Reporting by Gordon Wittenmyer, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
