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3 hours ago
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Before 1893, the pitcher stood 55 feet and 6 inches away from home plate. It was an era when pitchers started to dominate, and so the rubber was moved back five feet to its current 60', 6" distance in 1893.
And since then, no one has ever done what Cincinnati Reds rookie right-handed pitcher Chase Burns has done this season.
Burns has put up double-digit strikeouts in four of his first eight MLB outings. He's the first guy ever to do that, at least dating to 1893, according to MLB Network's Sarah Langs.
The best of the four, in terms of damage allowed, came on Friday night.
Burns, in Pittsburgh, struck out exactly 10. He allowed just three hits, one run and one walk.
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Sadly, the Reds didn't give him any run support, and he ended with a no-decision in a game Cincinnati went on to lose.
But it's still a remarkable stretch for Burns.
He's aptly named, possessing a fireball of a fastball.
He also has a nasty slider and an explosive motion that makes everything he throws look like it's burning a trail to home plate.
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His ERA is just 5.24 so far. Occasional wildness and hard contact have stopped him from utter domination so far.
But it's clear the stuff plays. He wouldn't have this many strikeouts without filthy pitches.
When Burns gets everything consistently in order, he'll be even more of a problem than he already is. If he reaches that point, hitters may want the mound moved back again.
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