It has been a struggle for the Cincinnati Reds lately, but Monday's 12-0 rout over the New York Mets offered some much-needed relief on both sides of the plate.

Starting pitcher Chase Burns tossed five innings of four-hit baseball with zero earned runs allowed, seven strikeouts and three walks. Third baseman Eugenio Suarez, meanwhile, was 2-of-4 with two home runs and six RBI, all of which came in the first two innings.

It might have come against a Mets (32-40) squad that has struggled to establish any consistency this season, but with losses in eight of their 10 games coming into Monday night, this was exactly the type of performance the Reds needed to build some momentum. 

Chase Burns, Eugenio Suarez feast on Mets in shutout win

Burns was simply filthy, with all seven of his strikeouts coming in the first four innings, his 11th consecutive start with two or fewer runs allowed.

Burns' rookie season did not go the way he expected, with a 4.57 ERA and an elbow strain in late August, but he continues to defy the odds as an NL Cy Young candidate in his first full MLB season. 

Burns is just the third player in franchise history with an ERA below 2.20, 95 or more strikeouts and 40 or fewer walks in his first 14 starts of the season, joining Mario Soto (1983) and Johnny Cueto (2014), per Just Baseball.

Pitchers in Reds history to achieve the following in their first 14 starts of the year:

- ERA below 2.20
- 95+ K’s
- 40 or less Walks

1983 Mario Soto - 2nd in NL CY
2014 Johnny Cueto - 2nd in NL CY
2026 Chase Burns - pic.twitter.com/2G999xnRYp

Burns has never gone past seven innings in any of his starts, but he continues to be in command each time he takes to the mound. With starting pitchers Hunter Greene (right elbow) and Brandon Williamson (left shoulder) battling injuries, Burns has been flawless for a Reds team that has dealt with its share of injuries throughout the first half of the season.

Suarez was just as impressive at the plate with a pair of homers, beginning with this 376-foot shot to left center field to put the Reds up 3-0 in the first.

This season, 3 different MLB players have had 6+ RBI via home runs before the end of the 2nd inning of a game:@Reds Sal Stewart on April 15@astros Yordan Alvarez on June 12@Reds Eugenio Suárez tonight

It's the first time 3 different players have done so in a single season. pic.twitter.com/MrwsvnXM5g

Burns continues to deliver on the mound in the Reds' fifth shutout of the season, while Suarez picked up his ninth career grand slam and 24th multi-homer game. It was by far his best game since returning to the Reds for the first time since the 2021 season.

The Reds (34-37) still find themselves last in the NL Central, 10 games back of the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers (43-26). That is far from where Cincinnati was at the start of May when it led the division, but this is still a team that has the talent on the mound and at the plate to make some noise when fully healthy.

Getting shortstop Elly De La Cruz (right hamstring strain) back will be crucial over the summer months, as will some improved play against stiffer competition if the Reds are going to vault themselves back into serious contention. 

They still have some work to do, but Monday's shutout offered some encouragement, with the bats offering plenty of run support for Burns' gem.