The Cincinnati Reds are in freefall, and they're turning to their young ace Chase Burns to stop the bleeding. After dropping eight straight games, the Reds are desperate for a spark—any spark—to turn things around.

Burns, who came out of Wake Forest University with a reputation as a legitimate frontline starter, knows a thing or two about being the hero. He's the kind of pitcher who can take the mound and deliver a gem when his team needs it most. And he already did exactly that on May 3rd against the Pittsburgh Pirates, firing 7.0 innings of scoreless ball with 7 strikeouts and just one walk. It was a dominant outing by any measure.

But here's the problem: the Reds still lost that game. Even with Burns at his best, this collapsing ball club couldn't find a way to turn that performance into a win. And now, the losing streak has spiraled to eight games, hitting a new low after a 10-0 drubbing at home against the Houston Astros on Friday night. To make matters worse, catcher Jose Trevino was called on to pitch—again—as both the offense and bullpen looked hopelessly inept.

The numbers tell a painful story. Cincinnati's run differential sits at -40 for the season. For context, the New York Mets—who are reportedly already shopping ace Freddy Peralta on the trade market—are at -26. The San Francisco Giants, who just dealt catcher Patrick Bailey to Cleveland for a draft pick and a prospect, are at -39. No team in the American League has a run differential worse than -38. The Reds are in a league of their own, and not in a good way.

Offensively, the Reds have a collective 89 wRC+, ranking fourth worst in baseball. The bullpen has a 5.40 xERA, dead last by a wide margin, and their 5.07 FIP is only marginally better at second worst. Even with Burns having been excellent so far, the starting rotation owns a 5.12 xERA, third worst in the majors. Overall, Cincinnati's pitching staff has a 5.24 xERA—the worst in all of baseball, and the only staff with a mark starting with a '5.'

Manager Terry Francona will trust Burns again on Saturday as he takes the mound for the second game of the series against Houston. Trust is a key word here, as Francona has so far resisted making significant changes to his lineup. But with the losing streak threatening to hit nine games, something has to give. Can Chase Burns be the stopper once more? The Reds are counting on it.