The 2025 Boston Red Sox have become known for their first-inning implosions. They carry an ugly 6.49 first-frame ERA, the second worst in the major leagues behind only the lowly, 19-65 Colorado Rockies.
But against the Cincinnati Reds, Boston flipped the script. Chase Burns, the second overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, wasn't on the mound for long.
The 22-year-old issued a walk to Jarren Duran to open the game, then the real damage began. The next three batters all reached. Abraham Toro singled to score Duran and Carlos Narváez scored Roman Anthony on a double. Then, Trevor Story really cracked the inning open with a three-run homer.
Boston racked up six runs on Burns and batted a full time through their order before Reds skipper Terry Francona pulled the rookie. His implosion was, at the time, inexplicable — Burns held the Yankees to three runs in five innings the week before. But the NESN broadcast booth uncovered the issue.
🐂 sends Jarren home! pic.twitter.com/14cSSKp7OH
— Red Sox (@RedSox) June 30, 2025
Before Wilyer Abreu's at-bat in the first inning, Duran mentioned something to him in the on-deck circle. Commentators Dave O'Brien and Lou Merloni deduced that Burns must have been tipping pitches, which turned out to be true. Boston was all over Burns' plan — Narváez's RBI double came off a first-pitch slider, and Story took the same pitch deep two batters later.
After a seven-run first inning, the game ended up being closer than expected, but the hot start had the Red Sox swinging all night. They went on to win, 13-6, after Garrett Crochet's second-worst outing of the season. But finally, he had enough run support to have some wiggle room.
Red Sox jumped on rookie Chase Burns for seven-run first inning as he tipped his pitches
The Reds' first-inning implosion was far from the craziest thing to happen in their series opener at Fenway Park. Abreu posted the game of his career and became the first player to hit an inside-the-park home run and a home run — a grand slam, no less — in the same game since Roger Maris did it in 1958. Funny enough, he grounded out in his first at-bat, while Burns was tipping pitches.
Duran's keen eye helped Boston gain a quick leg up on a gutsy opponent in the Reds and led to the breaking of a brutal losing streak in seven of its last eight games. Hopefully, their first win sets a tone for the rest of the series. The Red Sox are another rough losing skid away from blowing their chance to buy at the trade deadline, and beating the Reds with the Nationals and Rockies coming up in their next two series could be the best possible setup for the end of the first half of the campaign.