Elly De La Cruz is pushing hard toward the 30/30 club, and Wednesday night in Cincinnati gave him another jolt in that chase.
In the Reds’ 6-2 win over the Dodgers, De La Cruz launched his 28th home run of the season, a go-ahead shot that also extended his on-base streak to 23 straight games, matching a career high. He finished 1-for-3 with an intentional walk and two runs scored, and he remains at 26 stolen bases with 10 games left on Cincinnati’s schedule.
“We’re all fortunate to have him play with our team," starting pitcher Andrew Abbott said. "I’ve played with him for years now, so I’ve seen all the fun stuff.
He’s special. He’s an athlete.
He’s a unicorn. He’s going to have a long career in this sport, and the way he’s doing it and producing for us right now, he’s going to do it for a long time."
The stolen-base total still leaves De La Cruz short of the milestone, but the power has been there in a big way. Against Los Angeles this season, he has been a one-man problem, and Wednesday only added to that. In six games versus the Dodgers, he is batting .429 with a 1.716 OPS, five homers and seven RBIs, accounting for more than half of the 13 runs the Reds have scored against them.
His history against Los Angeles has been strong, too. In 25 career games against the Dodgers, De La Cruz is batting .302 with a .993 OPS, seven homers and 14 RBIs. Over his current 23-game on-base streak, he’s hit .424 with a 1.273 OPS, eight homers, 17 RBIs and four steals.
“He’s on time. He’s got balance," manager Terry Francona said. "When a guy is on balance, they shrink the strike zone a little bit, and he leverages the ball so well when he’s on balance and he uses the whole field.”
The Reds also caught a break when Dodgers starter Blake Snell, who threw a no-hitter against them in 2024, exited after just one inning with left groin tightness. That turned the night into an improvised bullpen game for Los Angeles.
Abbott did enough to keep Cincinnati in it and then some, grinding through 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision. He allowed one run and three hits, but also matched a season high with five walks while throwing 98 pitches. The Dodgers struck first in the third, when Will Smith lined a one-out RBI double to right that brought in Mookie Betts from first.
De La Cruz answered in the bottom half of the inning with the homer off Dodgers reliever Seth Halvorsen that flipped the game.
"It takes the pressure off of you a little bit. You can breathe," Abbott said.
"You can’t really relax with the lineup over there, but you can take a step back and say, ‘OK, guys are hitting the ball, we are putting the ball in play.’ We got into their bullpen today, and guys are taking great ABs, so it gave me time to breathe, relax in the dugout and come up with plans in between innings to go out and execute.”
Cincinnati kept adding from there. Dane Myers followed with a two-out solo homer to right-center in the fifth, Juan Brito lifted a blooped RBI single to right in the sixth, and Sal Stewart’s single off Betts’ glove at shortstop in the seventh brought home De La Cruz. That RBI was De La Cruz’s 108th of the season, which ranks second in the Major Leagues.
The Reds star has had to manage some physical setbacks this year. He played all 162 games in 2025, but a left quadriceps strain slowed his second half. This season, in 133 games after missing three weeks with a right hamstring strain, the 24-year-old switch-hitter is batting .286 with an .885 OPS and 74 RBIs.
The Reds are 1-5 against the Dodgers this season, but De La Cruz keeps giving them a different story every time he sees them.
In Other News...
Sal Stewart Just Got A New Rookie Of The Year Threat
The National League Rookie of the Year picture got a lot more interesting this week with the Cardinals activating second baseman JJ Wetherholt from the injured list, putting him back into the race just as the season is heading into its final stretch. For the Reds, that matters because Sal Stewart has been right there among the leagues most talked-about first-year players, and the award conversation now looks like a crowded one with about a week and a half left in the regular season.
Stewart is part of a group that also includes the Mets Nolan McLean and Carson Benge, while Wetherholt brings a different case back into the mix after his time on the shelf. The debate around the race has not just been about who has the biggest traditional numbers, but also who looks strongest in metrics such as WAR, and that split is what makes the closing weeks so intriguing for Cincinnati as Stewart tries to hold off a late push from another top candidate. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Are Back To An Outfield Experiment Fans Know Too Well
The Reds are taking another familiar detour in the outfield, this time with Juan Brito starting in right field against the Dodgers. Brito is mainly a middle infielder, but he does bring some background there from his time in the Guardians system, including a short run of work in right field over the past couple seasons.
It is the kind of move Cincinnati has tried before, with infielders Noelvi Marte and Matt McLain both getting looks in the outfield along the way. Sometimes those experiments have helped patch holes in the lineup, and sometimes they have only underscored how thin the options can get, which is why this latest test is worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Elly De La Cruz Just Delivered Another Dodgers Moment Reds Fans Loved
Elly De La Cruz keeps finding new ways to make a game against the Dodgers feel like a Reds showcase. In the latest chapter, he turned in a 5-3-6 double play that had the kind of snap and creativity that can change an inning in a hurry, catching a throw behind him while still moving and then tagging a sliding baserunner just before the bag. For a Cincinnati club that has seen De La Cruz deliver plenty of highlight material already, this one stood out even in a crowded week.
It also came with some history attached, since it was only the second 5-3-6 double play since the start of the 2024 season. Terry Francona praised the play afterward, which only added to the sense that De La Cruz is stacking up moments that matter beyond the box score. And after a week that already included a record-setting relay throw, the bigger question for the Reds is how many more of these plays he has left to surprise even the people who have seen almost everything from him. [Read more 🡒]