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MLB News & Moments: Chase Burns is worth every penny

The Phillies may need some base running drills.

Pablo Figueroa
MLB Morning News 6 Hours Ago

Stay updated on everything baseball with our morning MLB News & Moments articles. We’ve got you covered to keep you in the know.

Weather played a big role in Tuesday’s MLB slate, with games at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park postponed. In both cases, they will be made up as part of double-headers later today, and they should each have something interesting to watch. For starters, the Red Sox start Wednesday with their 14-game winning streak intact, as they look to inch closer towards contention. Over at the Bronx, the rainout will give the Yankees a chance to start Gerrit Cole in game 1 and feature the anticipated IL return of Max Fried for game 2. This should be a really fun day.

Today’s Headlines

 

TOOTBLAN Again

In last season’s playoffs, the Phillies were the only NL team that genuinely had a shot against the Dodgers. However, things turned in the ninth inning of Game 2, when Nick Castellanos committed a costly error running the bases, giving LA the chance to head home with a 2-0 advantage in a series they would close in four games. Fast forward to 2026, and the Phillies are again one of the few NL teams that look poised to give LA a run for its unlimited money come playoff time. Having won on Monday, a new Game 2 of their series provided plenty of traumatizing flashbacks for the Philly faithful, as their team was once again doomed by a confounding play on the bases. With Zack Wheeler vs. Justin Wrobleski living up to the bill, the game had remained a tight, tense affair from the early innings, with LA clinging to a 2-1 lead since the fourth. As closer Tanner Scott was summoned for a multi-inning save, he started to crumble in the ninth, as a J.T. Realmuto double gave Philly the chance to at least tie the game, with runners at second and third and only one out. While Brandon Marsh barely mustered a ground ball to third, Justin Crawford broke for the plate and got into a rundown, which should have at least been enough to give the Phillies another chance with a man in scoring position. Shockingly, Realmuto followed him as the trail runner for some reason, creating an easy extra out that the Dodgers accepted gladly, giving them a dramatic 2-1 win. In an era where running fundamentals are falling by the wayside, this was a perfect example of what not to do.

On Fire

Making his first start since signing a mega extension with the Reds, Chase Burns gave out the full Chase Burns experience. Needing 91 pitches to get through five innings, Burns held Seattle scoreless while walking two and striking out six, often going to deep counts and relying on his nasty slider to wipe out threats. Of course, the Burns experience usually means that the Reds will find a way to win, as Burns improved his record to an MLB-best 12-1, while his ERA stands at a sparkly 2.42. Solo homers from Elly de la Cruz, Eugenio Suárez, and Nathaniel Lowe were key for Cincinnati, while the bullpen made things interesting but held on for the 4-2 victory, with closer Emilio Pagán tossing a perfect ninth. The Reds are now 15-4 in games started by Burns, while they are 31-50 in games started by anyone else, which roughly translates to a 100-loss team.

So Good, Man

In another episode of “The Nationals Would be Great with an Average Pitching Staff”, Washington wasted an excellent opportunity to climb up the standings, losing an 8-7 heartbreaker at Coors Field. The Nats were at their usual offensive selves, recording six extra-base hits, including a two-homer effort from CJ Abrams and a two-double game from James Wood. Alas, early 2-0 and 6-5 leads were quickly erased as opener Cole Palmquist and bulk man Miles Mikolas combined to allow seven runs. With the game tied at seven, it would all be decided by a two-out solo homer from Hunter Goodman in the eighth, as the standout catcher reached 31 long balls for the season. The Nationals dropped back to .500, while the Rockies still have a shot of avoiding the worst record in the NL.

Starting XI

On a nightly basis, the Cubs are one of the most unpredictable teams in baseball, capable of nearly every outcome you may imagine. In Monday’s game, they lost after Alex Bregman failed to take advantage of a 3-0 count with the bases loaded, only to come back 24 hours later with a truly impressive offensive showing. Facing Framber Valdez and the Tigers, the Cubs forced the lefty to exit having recorded only two outs, as the offense chased Valdez after allowing five hits, two walks, and six runs. Forced into a bullpen game, Detroit wouldn’t fare much better through the rest of the contest, as the Cubs showed their versatility by scoring five more times, fueled by nine walks, a double, and a homer en route to an impressive 11-2 win. David Peterson took advantage of the ample run support to earn his fifth win of 2026, going 6.2 scoreless. In the end, the Cubs had a quirky box score that includes 11 hits, 11 walks, and 11 runs – maybe they should play that number.

Zac Attac

In the spectrum of team success, the Mets and Brewers are polar opposites in 2026, not only in their results but also in how it has felt to reach this point of the season. For a game, though, New York was able to flip the script and produce one of their few positive moments in a cursed year. Making only his fourth career start, rookie Zac Thornton (who dropped the H from his name much like Pete Alonso dropped the R) found a way to be effective despite a low strikeout total, keeping Milwaukee scoreless through six frames to earn his first career win. While the Mets only scored four runs despite a 13-hit output, they were able to get on the board at key junctures of the contest, including solo homers from Jared Young and Luis Robert Jr., while their bullpen completed the shutout with three drama-free innings. This was only the fourth time this season in which the Brewers have been held scoreless.

 

By The Numbers

 

74 Tampa Bay’s Yandy Díaz became the 74th active player to reach at least 1,000 games played, and he celebrated with a monster performance in his team’s big win over Toronto. Diaz is also now only the fourth player in Rays franchise history to achieve this, joining legends Evan Longoria, Ben Zobrist, and Carl Crawford.

228 With his solo homer against the Phillies, Max Muncy reached 228 career homers with the Dodgers, tying Ron Cey for fifth place in the franchise’s all-time homers list. Not bad for a player acquired as a minor league free agent.

99 Following last night’s action, every MLB team can no longer sing an underrated Toto song – except for one. With a rainout postponing their matchup against the Orioles, Boston will remain the only MLB team that has not played at least 100 games. Mother Nature permitting, they should be on the triple-digit club later today.

 

 

Best Moments From Yesterday

 

The Stars Were Bright, Fernando

If we had to name the most disappointing MLB player in 2026, Fernando Tatis Jr. would probably be atop the list. At age 27, just entering his prime, Tatis has posted career-low numbers across the board, especially in the power department. His first homer of the season came until May 30, and a recent surge has finally placed his OPS around league average. However, no one can deny that Tatis can still be considered among the brightest stars in MLB, with the potential to be great. That kind of potential showed up against Atlanta, with Tatis going 3-for-5 with three RBI, including a double and a homer. That homer was a majestic display of his power, traveling an estimated 474 feet as teammates and rivals stared in awe at what is now the longest home run of the 2026 season. The Padres would ride this power barrage, which also included a couple of Manny Machado blasts and a solo effort from Jackson Merrill, towards a commanding 8-3 victory.

Watson + Wall = W

Rookie Kahlil Watson has had a rough go in his first few weeks in the Show, posting a .605 OPS with only one homer in 88 at-bats. However, his defense has kept him on the roster as a great late-game replacement to lock up wins for the Guardians. Last night, Watson really left his mark despite not being in the starting lineup. In the sixth inning, Watson entered as a pinch hitter, promptly doubled and then scored Cleveland’s fourth run of the game, staying to play right field. In the ninth, he would show off his web gem capabilities, recording the final out of the game with an acrobatic catch that saw him crash against the wall. Even with the ball going clearly foul, Watson laid out to secure the 27th out of the game, making sure that the Guardians stay atop the AL Central in a virtual tie with the White Sox.

A School of Outs

The Marlins were in a tough spot, trailing 5-3 in the eighth inning against the Astros, with runners on first and second and no outs, as Jose Altuve stepped up to the plate. The possibility of a big inning was at hand, even as any kind of pop-up or a groundball double play would have been a major break for the pitcher. Instead, the baseball gods got greedy and gifted Miami a picture-perfect ground ball to turn a triple play. Leo Jiménez, who had entered the game as a pinch hitter and stayed to play third, stepped on the bag and started the around-the-horn sequence to produce only the second defensive triple play in Marlins history. Unfortunately for the Fish, their offense would not carry that momentum to the top of the ninth, as the Astros held on for the 5-3 win.

 

Injuries and Other Moves

 

⚾In a move that could influence some of the team’s trade deadline approach, the Tigers have placed starting pitcher Jack Flaherty on the 15-day IL with flexor inflammation. The righty could have been an option to trade away or an important rotation piece down the stretch if Detroit chooses to give it a go, but this makes things complicated in either case. In his place, the Tigers recalled Ty Madden.

⚾ The White Sox have placed starting catcher Kyle Teel on the 10-day IL with a left ankle sprain. Teel originally sustained the injury during Monday’s game in Texas, and was removed. He is not expected to miss significant time, especially as Chicago is in the middle of an unlikely playoff run. In his place, the Sox recalled Edgar Quero. 

⚾ The A’s moved a couple of players to the IL, as reliever Mark Leiter Jr. is on the 15-day variety with a right hip impingement, while rookie Joshua Kuroda-Grauer is on the 10-day IL due to a gruesome, exclusive-to-men injury suffered on Monday. While Leiter’s injury is pretty conventional and should keep him off the field for the minimum stint, Kuroda-Grauer’s recovery is much more uncertain. In their place, the A’s recalled Hayden Juenger and their own version of Max Muncy. 

 

Articles You Should Read

 

Brandon Valenzuela’s Breakout — Brendan Gawlowski, Fangraphs

Tyler Callihan and the Quest to Play All 9 Positions — Aiden Stepansky, MLB.com

 

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Pablo Figueroa

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Pablo Figueroa is a Baseball Writer here at Pitcher List, with experience as a writer since 2013. He lives in Aguascalientes, Mexico - proud home of Los Rieleros. When he´s not thinking about baseball , he's a husband, owns two dogs, watches random episodes of The Sopranos , plays padel, and works on his day job to pay the bills.

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