The third game between the Giants and the Reds on Thursday proved that baseball players remember everything that happens on a diamond. The third game saw the Giants avoid a sweep and a bench-clearing incident at the end of the game.

But the eagle-eyed fans didn’t miss one subtle event in the middle. The duel between the Reds’ rookie starter, Chase Burns, and the Giants manager, Tony Vitello. No, they haven’t been involved in any altercations, but after the game, Burns hinted at his disputed college baseball past involving Vitello.

“No, I don’t talk to him,” said Burns when asked if he spoke to Vitello this series. “I have some guys over there, though. Q, the strength coach, I chatted it up with him. That’s about it.”

The history between Burns and Vitello goes back to their time in college baseball. Reportedly, Burns spent the first two seasons of his college baseball career with the Tennessee Vols before jumping ship to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. He was with the Vols between 2022 and 2023, and that time, Vitello was the Vols’ coach.

So, the Giants-Reds series was a reunion between Burns and Vitello. However, it surely didn’t go like an ideal reunion.

While Burns didn’t reveal the reason for not gelling up with Vitello, despite having a conversation with others, he made sure fans know there’s an issue between the two.

Burns had a hot time with the Vols in 2022. He finished the season with an 8-2 record and 2.91 ERA with 103 SOs. However, he was still scratched off their starting rotation and shifted to the bullpen. Burns still gave a memorable performance as a relief pitcher. For instance, he threw 6 scoreless innings in the 2023 College World Series against Stanford.

But Burns was a starter by heart, and he moved to Deacons for a starter role. Now, we assume, Burns’ shift from a starter to a relief arm in 2023 was when Vitello was the Vols’ coach. So, bad blood might have started flowing between the two since then. And their cold shoulder against each other on Thursday proved that things didn’t improve.

Burns’ decision to stick with a starter role proved successful. With the Deacons in 2024, he recorded 191 SOs, with a 2.70 ERA. That landed him an MLB offer when the Reds picked Chase Burns as their No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. On Thursday, despite the Reds’ loss, Burns allowed no ER but secured 4 SOs.

But apart from Burns’ heroics, Thursday’s game had enough to keep the fans on their edge.

The Giants-Reds Series offered enough fireworks

While Burns-Vitello’s duel remained subtle, the other few were not. Rather, it was Burns who got yelled at by the Giants’ dugout in the third inning for a possible balk.

Reportedly, Burns picked off a throw to the first, targeting the Giants’ Drew Gilbert. Then, in the next pitch, he made an inning-ending double play. The Giants’ dugout yelled that it was a balk as Burns delivered the pitch. Vitello was then seen having a brief argument with the umpires, and he was visibly not pleased.

However, the bigger scene happened after the game when benches from both dugouts got cleared following a verbal between the Reds’ Sal Stewart and the Giants’ Erik Miller. Reportedly, in the ninth, Miller ended the Reds’ inning by striking out Stewart. And it appears that the Giants’ pitcher yelled a few words at Stewart, which caused the latter to charge at the pitcher.

Result? Both dugouts and bullpens emptied, but fortunately, there weren’t any punches thrown.

However, at the end of the series, the position of the Giants and Reds is a stark contrast. The Reds are currently leading the NL Central with an 11-8 record, while the Giants are the basement dweller in the NL West with a 7-12 record. Burns won the first face-off against Vitello. Let’s see how Vitello counters once they face off again this year.

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