Elly De La Cruz talks Reds’ win over Yankees
Cincinnati Reds SS Elly De La Cruz upstaged Aaron Judge and the Yankees for the second year in a row, going 3-for-4 with a HR, 3B in Monday’s opener.
Cincinnati Reds top prospect Chase Burns, the second overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft, struck out the side in the 1st inning of his big-league debut against the New York Yankees.
Fanduel Sports Network analyst Barry Larkin, a National Baseball Hall of Famer and former Reds great, was especially impressed with Burns’ strikeouts of Trent Grisham, Ben Rice and Aaron Judge, who homered in the series-opener.
“We talked about not really knowing what to expect in a Major League debut,” Larkin said. “How about some dominance in the 1st inning! Slider to Grisham for the strikeout. Ben Rice with the heater. And then Aaron Judge with the slider. Welcome to the big leagues, kid!”
Play-by-play announcer John Sadak said Burns is the first Red to strike out the side in his MLB debut since Mo Sanford in August of 1991.
Burns boosted his strikeout total to six in the 2nd inning, striking out Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt to start the 2nd inning, before allowing a hit to Jazz Chisholm and striking out Anthony Volpe.
Social media reactions to Burns’ fast start:
Chase freaking Burns.
First big-league pitch: 99 mph, called strike
Second big-league pitch: 100, called strike.
Reds righty strikes all three Yankees he faces in first, including Aaron Judge swinging at a 1-2 breaking pitch.
Press box wag: “Damn.”
— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubMLB) June 24, 2025
Chase Burns. Strikes out the side in the first inning. Grisham, Rice, Judge.
— Pat Brennan (@PBrennanENQ) June 24, 2025
Chase Burns just struck out the side in his MLB debut
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 24, 2025