Chase Burns delivered a gem on Friday, August 14, spinning seven shutout innings against the Miami Marlins as the Cincinnati Reds claimed a 1-0 victory at Great American Ball Park. Burns allowed just four hits, walked nobody, and punched out eight batters. It took only one run — the lone run of the game — for Cincinnati to walk away with the win, a margin that held but demanded every scoreless inning Burns and the bullpen could provide. The bullpen finished the job, and the Reds kept Miami off the scoreboard for all nine innings.

Chase Burns Outduels Sandy Alcantara in Pitcher's Duel

Sandy Alcantara matched zeros with Burns through much of the night, pitching seven innings for Miami and allowing just one earned run on three hits. But where Burns was locked in — zero walks, eight strikeouts, ruthless efficiency — Alcantara ran into trouble on the bases, issuing four walks. That lack of command was ultimately the difference. The one run Cincinnati pushed across against Alcantara proved to be all Burns needed.

Burns's final line: 7.0 innings, 4 hits, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 8 strikeouts. That is a gem by any measure. He threw strikes, he attacked hitters, and he gave the Cincinnati offense a chance to win with the absolute bare minimum of run support.

Reds Bullpen Closes It Out

When Burns exited after seven, Brock Burke entered for the eighth inning and was nothing short of electric — three strikeouts on three outs, zero hits, zero walks. Burke was unhittable in his inning of work, giving the Marlins no path back into the game.

Emilio Pagán came on in the ninth to record the save, retiring the side without allowing a hit or a walk. The Cincinnati bullpen combined for two scoreless innings to back Burns's effort and seal the shutout.

Pitching Highlights

  • Chase Burns (W): 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
  • Brock Burke: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
  • Emilio Pagán (SV): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
  • Sandy Alcantara (L): 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K

Turning Point: Burns's Zero-Walk Efficiency

The turning point in this game was never a single moment — it was the accumulation of Burns simply not missing. Zero walks in seven innings against a Marlins lineup is the kind of pitching that takes a game away from the opposition before they realize what's happening. Miami never had a runner reach base on a free pass. Every out Burns recorded, he earned. That relentless efficiency made the Reds' single run feel like a comfortable margin all night.

Josh Ekness came on for Miami in the eighth and allowed three hits, underscoring just how vulnerable the Miami bullpen could be — though the Reds ultimately did not convert those hits into additional runs, as Cincinnati's lone run had already come against Alcantara.

What's Next for the Reds

The Cincinnati Reds will continue their homestand at Great American Ball Park with the Miami Marlins back in town for the next game in this series. After a night where the pitching staff combined to allow zero runs on four hits, the Reds will look to carry that same standard into the next game in this series. Burns takes the win, Pagán takes the save, and Cincinnati takes the series opener.