Burns Solid, Bullpen Struggles as Bats Fall 10-2
June 12, 2025 - International League (IL)
Louisville Bats News Release
DES MOINES, Iowa - Despite a sturdy start from Chase Burns in his Triple-A debut, the Louisville Bats bullpen imploded in the final frame, suffering a 10-2 loss to the Iowa Cubs in the third game of a seven-game series on Thursday afternoon at Principal Park.
The Bats played as the "home" team, batting second at Principal Park as the game was a makeup from a rainout at Louisville Slugger Field on April 25.
Making his Bats debut less than a year after being picked by the Reds as the second overall pick in the 2024 draft, Burns struggled from the gate. Cincinnati's number one prospect issued walks to the first two hitters he faced. Jonathon Long followed with an RBI single, and an RBI ground out from Owen Caissie gave the I-Cubs a 2-0 lead in their first turn at the plate.
After the runs scored, Burns settled down, ending the first and starting the second with his first two Triple-A strikeouts. He retired the Cubs in order in the second, and the Bats would begin the comeback from there.
In the bottom of the second against Iowa starter Cam Sanders, Edwin Rios led off with a walk and Rece Hinds singled to put two on with nobody out. With runners on the corners and two outs, P.J. Higgins hit a ground ball to short and was able to beat the play at first base for an infield single, scoring Hinds to get the Bats on the board.
A double play got Burns through the third unscathed. He struck out Chase Strumpf in the fourth to strand a runner on second. The Bats would draw even in the bottom of the frame. Hinds began the inning with a double off the wall in left. A couple hitters later, Davis Wendzel's line drive stayed fair inside the left field line for a double of his own, bringing in Hinds to tie the score.
Burns allowed a two-out walk and a single in the fifth before a fielder's choice ended the inning. The sixth began with a walk to Caissie before Burns struck out Kevin Alcantara. That would prove to be the end of Burns' start. Zach Maxwell entered from the bullpen and retired the first two hitters he faced to close the book on Burns.
Over 5.1 innings, Burns was steady in his Triple-A debut, allowing two runs on four hits with four walks and seven strikeouts.
The Bats looked to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth as Hinds connected on his second double of the day. The next hitter, Levi Jordan, looped a single to shallow left. Caissie, the Cubs left fielder, quickly came up with the ball and fired a strike to the plate, where Hinds was tagged out trying to score the go-ahead run.
Maxwell (L, 1-2) returned for the seventh, but the game unraveled quickly for him and the Bats. With the bases loaded, one out, and Jonathon Long stepping to the plate, Maxwell was looking for a ground out to escape the inning. But he uncorked a wild pitch to allow the go-ahead run to score and Long drove in two more with a single to left.
Sam Moll was called on to provide relief but did little to quell the Cubs rally. A two-run homer from Caissie made it 7-2 and the Cubs continued to crush Moll, extending their lead and putting the game out of reach at 10-2 before the inning mercifully came to an end.
Hinds led the way for the Louisville offense, going 3-for-3 with two doubles and a run scored in the loss in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.
The Bats (27-38) and I-Cubs (35-29) continue the series with the second game of the doubleheader on Thursday night at 7:38 p.m. Chase Petty will toe the rubber for the Bats in the nightcap. Nick Curran will be on the call for Sports Talk 790 AM.
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