Monday’s schedule features several exciting pitching matchups across Major League Baseball, including one at Fenway Park between Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet and Cincinnati Reds rookie Chase Burns.
Crochet has been outstanding in his first season with the Red Sox, going 7-4 with a 2.06 ERA, a 2.54 FIP and a 1.01 WHIP. He also has 135 strikeouts and 3.7 WAR while pitching the most innings (109 1/3) in the American League, making him an early AL Cy Young candidate and a shoo-in for the MLB All-Star Game.
Meanwhile, Burns lived up to the hype in his MLB debut last Tuesday against the New York Yankees. The 22-year-old rookie showcased his electric stuff with eight strikeouts (including five straight to start the game) and no walks over five innings, limiting the Yankees’ potent lineup to three runs in a no-decision.
The second overall pick in last year’s MLB Draft, Burns rocketed through the minor leagues this year, going 7-3 with a 1.77 ERA, a 0.77 WHIP and a 12.1 K/9 rate across three levels. After just 13 starts and 66 innings in the minors, he graduated to the big leagues.
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Burns’ four-pitch arsenal features a blazing fastball that can easily hit 100 mph, plus an outstanding slider and changeup. He also boasts impressive command, posting a 1.8 BB/9 rate in the minors.
With elite velocity, control and movement, Burns is incredibly difficult to hit. He profiles as a future ace if he stays healthy.
That makes him a tough matchup for Boston’s lineup, which has slumped since the Rafael Devers trade. The Red Sox have averaged just 3.83 runs per game since Devers was dealt to the San Francisco Giants on June 15, batting .215/.280/.375 without him.
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The Reds have struggled against left-handed pitchers, so scoring runs will likely be an issue for them as well. They’re batting just .219/.298/.348 against southpaws this year compared to .257/.327/.418 versus righties.
Both hurlers have little margin for error tonight, so they’ll need to be at their best. Regardless of which one comes out on top, fans should expect a low-scoring game with these two on the mound.
Featured image via Jeff Hanisch/Imagn Images
