ARLINGTON, Texas — The Cincinnati Reds’ scouting report on the Texas Rangers was that the Rangers’ hitters didn’t chase much. Heading into the series, Rhett Lowder and Chase Burns knew that they were going to have to execute at a high level with two strikes. Texas’ hitters weren’t going to get themselves out.

Lowder’s approach on Saturday was using a diverse four-pitch mix, setting up his pitches and spotting pitches with precise accuracy. He threw six shutout innings against the Rangers.

Burns’ approach on Sunday in the series finale was the opposite. The Rangers didn’t chase much, but Burns’ stuff was going to be so filthy that he’d force ugly swings anyway. Burns struck out nine on Sunday, a 2-1 win for the Reds, and Burns allowed just one run in six-plus innings.

They have different ways of going about it, but it’s easy to see why these guys were top-10 picks in the MLB Draft.

“He’s more of a sinker ball, in and out kind of guy,” Burns said. “I’m ‘Here it is, try to hit it.’ I love seeing how he goes about his business. His notes. I love asking him questions. He’s a smart guy.”

Lowder said, “It’s a ton of fun. We keep pushing each other to be better. I don’t think that will stop.”

The big storyline of the Reds’ season so far is that Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo are on the IL. Those are two pitchers who can carry the Reds to a win on any given night. Without them, the Reds need Burns and Lowder — two of the 15 youngest starting pitchers in MLB — to step into some big shoes.

It’s a big ask for two inexperienced pitchers. But in Lowder’s eight big league appearances going back to 2024 and in Burns’ 15 big league appearances dating back to last season, they’ve pretty much only been good.

The Reds feel like they can count on this duo, just like they counted on Hunter Greene and Andrew Abbott in 2023.

“For them to be here and be a part of this, there’s so much for them to learn,” Tyler Stephenson said. “Look at where they were when they first called up to where they are now. It’s not a finished product. It’ll be exciting when they are because they’re already really talented.”

Lowder and Burns are getting better in real time.

On Saturday, Lowder’s slider was his most-used pitch. He spotted five of them for called strikes and got swing and miss on two more of them, finding a way to get outs with his third-best pitch.

He described his start against the Rangers as a “grind.” He never felt like he got into a rhythm. He was extremely effective anyway.

“We got a taste of what Lowder was capable of a couple of years ago when he was healthy,” Stephenson said. “It’s a lot of fun to watch what he does.”

Burns is completely different. His velocity and the spin of his slider are elite, but he has to prove that he’s more than a two pitch pitcher with inconsistent command. On Sunday against the Rangers, Burns filled up the zone, got first pitch strikes regularly and even got big results with his changeup.

“He was outstanding,” Lowder said. “He’s getting ahead and putting guys away. It was a lot of first pitch strikes, and it’s electric stuff.”

In the series finale, Graham Ashcraft, Tony Santillan and Emilio Pagán were unavailable due to how much they’ve pitched recently. The Reds really needed length out of Burns. He provided it and pitched into the seventh inning for the first time in his career.

“Last year, his pitch count would be up in the fourth or fifth inning,” Stephenson said. “To see the growth and go into the seventh inning, limiting mistakes, throwing more strikes, putting guys away when he needs to.”

The Reds scored two runs on Saturday and two runs on Sunday. That was enough to win Lowder’s start on Saturday and Burns’ start on Sunday, completing the series sweep.

“They’re going to be a big part of this franchise moving forward,” Stephenson said. “Two special arms.”