Elly De La Cruz’s slow start to the 2024 season ended abruptly Monday when the Cincinnati Reds infielder recorded two very different home runs: a dazzling inside-the-park effort and a 450 bomb feet that briefly seemed destined for the banks of the park. the Ohio River.
The homers are the first two of the current campaign for De La Cruz, who has been criticized in 2024 for everything from his defense to his poor pitch selection.
The 22-year-old Dominican raised his average to .297 with three hits in Monday’s dramatic 10-8 victory over the division rival Milwaukee Brewers. He also stole his sixth base of the season – better than all except Brewers second baseman Brice Turang’s seven.
But nothing on Monday could compare to De La Cruz’s electric home run inside the park.
Not only did he round the goals in less than 15 seconds, but De La Cruz didn’t even rush out of the box and still managed to score on the ball which managed to deflect Sal Frelick in the center before rolling towards the warning track.
Elly De La Cruz (left) poses for a photo with Hunter Greene (center) and Jeimer Candelario
Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds watches her solo home run land 450 feet in dead center
De La Cruz reacts after hitting an inside-the-park home run against the Milwaukee Brewers i
“The whole bench was screaming a home run as soon as they saw the ball go by,” Reds manager David Bell told reporters afterward. “It’s an exciting piece. Every second is exciting. But there weren’t many seconds.
Frelick took a definite risk diving for the ball, but for Brewers manager Pat Murphy, it was a risk he was willing to take given De La Cruz’s wheels.
“I have no problem with Sal diving for that ball, knowing who the hitter is,” Murphy told reporters afterward. The speed of the Reds that we have faced in recent years. It’s a very good weapon for them.
“I think running the bases (is my greatest pleasure),” said De La Cruz, who recently began using English in interviews rather than an interpreter. “When I saw him miss the ball, I said, ‘I’m going home.’ That’s my mentality. I always think about the extra base.
And that was just one of De La Cruz’s home runs Monday.
It took Elly De La Cruz 14.96 seconds to run 360 feet around the bases on Monday
The other landed in the middle of the batter’s eye at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, giving De La Cruz a little more time to admire the long ball.
“The first (home run) was on the pitch I was looking for,” De La Cruz said of the fifth-inning dinger.
After a brilliant start to his career in 2023, De La Cruz struggled down the stretch before finishing the season with a disappointing .300 on-base percentage and .235 average.
His 35 stolen bases were a pleasant surprise, but they barely made up for De La Cruz’s 144 strikeouts in 388 at-bats.
Unfortunately, De La Cruz’s strikeout rate has actually increased this year as he has drawn 46 percent of his at-bats, up from 36 percent in 2023.
It was all part of a remarkable day for the 6-4 Reds as right fielder Will Benson also homered and Spencer Steer had two RBIs.
“It’s amazing, but we’re looking at the work it would take to get Elly to this position,” Bell said. “He worked so hard. It’s nice to see it paying off.
The Reds led 8-0 after four innings and 9-3 after five. And the Brewers nearly rallied for an improbable victory.
Milwaukee’s Brice Turang hit a two-run homer in the fifth and a two-run double in the sixth. Christian Yelich’s two-run shot in the seventh – his fourth homer of the season – brought the Brewers within one run.
Leading 10-8 in the ninth, Milwaukee had runners on the corners with two outs. But Alexis Díaz got his second save by retiring Rhys Hoskins on a fly ball to right.
Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds celebrates with Will Benson after hitting a solo home run
Milwaukee third baseman Joey Ortiz committed two of the team’s three errors and Cincinnati scored four unearned runs.
Benson’s second homer of the season gave Cincinnati a 2-0 lead in the second. It was his first career homer off a left-hander.
Benson added an RBI double in the fourth and scored on Steer’s double, helping the Reds take an 8-0 advantage.
Aaron Ashby (0-1) was charged with eight runs, four earned and six hits in 3 2/3 innings in his first start of the year for the Brewers. The left-hander missed last season following shoulder surgery.
Cincinnati starter Graham Ashcraft (1-1) blanked Milwaukee in the first four innings, then faltered. He allowed six runs, five earned and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Stuart Fairchild gave the Reds a boost when he robbed Willy Adames of a solo homer with a jumper in the sixth. Fairchild also walked twice and scored a run.
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