No Hunter Greene? No Nick Lodolo? No problem.
With young but far beyond their years pitchers Rhett Lowder and Chase Burns in the rotation, the Cincinnati Reds are well-equipped to withstand the time Greene and Lodolo spend on the injured list.
After 24-year-old Lowder provided six innings of no-run, three-hit pitching Saturday in a 2-0 win over the Texas Rangers, 23-year-old Burns was a near mirage image Sunday afternoon in Globe Life Field.
Burns pitched six-plus innings and held the Rangers to one run, four hits and struck out nine during a 2-1 victory.
And the Reds string of close-shave success continued during the three-game sweep of the Rangers. The Reds are 6-3 and all six wins have been by two runs or less — 6-5, 3-2, 2-0, 5-3, 2-0 and 2-1.
Burns took a two-hit shutout into the seventh inning as manager Tito Francona pushed the envelope. Burns had never pitched into the seventh during his short career, but had only 81 pitches.
The Reds led, 1-0, and the first hitter to face Burns was Joc Pederson, who was 0 for 16 to start the season. But he unloaded a game-tying home run.
The next hitter, Even Carter, grounded to third and umpire Bill Miller called him out at first. The Rangers challenged and the call was reversed to put Carter on first, manager Tito Francona then lifted Burns.
“I thought he was pitching to the point where he was OK, said Francona about sending Burns out for the seventh. “He didn’t look tired to me.”
What also may have played into it was that Francona’s seventh, eighth and ninth triumvirate of Graham Ashcraft, Tony Santillan and Emilio Pagan all were unavailable.
So it was improvisation time.
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns celebrates after striking out Texas Rangers’ Jake Burger in the sixth inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Arlington, Texas.
Tony Gutierrez – AP
Pierce Johnson replaced Burns in the seventh and threw a wild pitch. That put Carter on second. Kyle Higashioka drove one to the center field wall enabling Carter to tag and take third, the potential tying run with one out.
Johnson walked Josh Smith and wild pitched him to second, putting the potential go-ahead run on second.
With runners on second and third and one out, Johnson struck out pinch-hitter Andrew McCutchen on eight pitches. Sam Moll then came in to end the inning by striking out Brandon Nimmo on a full count.
The Reds responded after Pederson’s game-tying home run by retaking the lead in the eighth, 2-1, on a walk to Matt McLain, who stole second and scored on Elly De La Cruz’s single to right.
Connor Phillips pitched an eventful 28-pitch eighth inning. He retired the first two then gave up a double and a walk, but retired Carter on a drive to the center field wall.
Brock Burke, originally signed by the Rangers, pitched the ninth and blew away all three Texas hitters with fastballs for his first career save.
“You know what? It really helps a ballclub when you win and everybody contributes,” Francona told reporters after the game. “Especially when Ashcraft, Santillan and Pagan are not available, but those other guys stepped up. It’ll help us down the road.”
The day, though, was mostly about Burns and his 99 and 100 miles an hour fastballs and his put-away sliders and change-ups.
His only difficulty all day, other than the seventh, was the third when he gave up a couple of singles but ended it by striking out Wyatt Langford on a full count.
“He was good and didn’t get the win today, but if he pitches just like that he is gonna get a lot of wins,” said Francona. “That was pretty special. Everybody sees his velocity, but he spins the ball. It was really hard to see today (shadows) for both teams, but if you change speeds, it really gives hitters fits.”
Of Burns’ quick development through only 10 career starts, Francona said, “The kid is bright, he listens and he wants to be good. He is just learning and as he learns it is going to get fun.”
Both Burns and Lowder are in the learning phases of their careers and learning at warp speed.
And they are buddies on and off the field.
“I love Lowder,” Burns told reporters. “He is a good friend and we have gotten so close being next to each other on the planes and hanging out with him. It speaks a lot about our relationship.
“I just love being around him, he is a great guy. We are very different (pitchers). He is more of a sinkerballer, in and out, up and down. I’m more like ‘Here it is, try to hit it,’” Burns added.
“I love seeing how he goes about his business, so I take notes and ask questions. Smart guy.”
Cincinnati Reds’ Eugenio Suarez (28) follows through on a run-scoring single as Texas Rangers’ Kyle Higashioka (11) looks on in the fourth inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Arlington, Texas.
Tony Gutierrez – AP
With his nine strikeouts, Burns has 83 for his embryonic 49 1/3 career innings. He has the most strikeouts for the first 50 innings of a career of any pitcher in Reds history.
Asked about his growth and if Sunday’s outing added to it, Burns told reporters, “A lot. That’s my mindset every outing, just to get better and learn from the last and keep going, go from there. I gain confidence … year two, just being on a big league field and learning from other guys then go out there and trust in my stuff.”
Burke’s first career save came in the first major league park in which he appeared — 2019 for the Rangers, for whom he pitched 4 1/2 years. His save came in his 218th game.
“That feels pretty special, especially doing it against the team that I was with not too long ago,” Brock told reporters. “It was awesome.”
So was Burns and so were the Reds.
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brock Burke (49) and catcher Tyler Stephenson, right, celebrate the team’s win in a baseball game against the Texas Rangers Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Arlington, Texas.
Tony Gutierrez – AP