"Yarr, me hearties! The scurvy dog Elly De La Cruz hath swashbuckled his way to a full circle o' swings in but 15 games! Yo ho ho and a bottle o' rum!"
2023-06-23
Arrr, me mateys! The swashbucklin' Elly De La Cruz o' the Cincinnati Reds be showin' his mettle in his mere 15th game in the big leagues, as he hit for the cycle and made a name fer himself amongst the landlubbers! Yarrr!
Arrr, mateys! The Cincinnati Reds have a new swashbuckler on their team, Elly De La Cruz. He's been in the Big Leagues for less than three weeks, but he's already making waves. De La Cruz is the third-ranked prospect in the majors and has already hit a 458-foot homer and hit for the cycle in just six innings of work. The cycle, which is hitting a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game, was the first by a Red since Eric Davis accomplished it in 1989, and De La Cruz is the youngest player to hit for the cycle since César Cedeño in 1972.In Friday's game against the Atlanta Braves, De La Cruz got a double in his first at-bat, followed by a two-run home run in the next inning. In the fifth inning, he hit a single that also drove in a run. Needing the hardest one of the four, a triple, he drove a change-up into the right-center field gap, marking his fourth RBI of the night. It was the first cycle by a Red since Eric Davis accomplished it in 1989.
De La Cruz's performance has helped the Reds lead the National League Central and tie a franchise record with a 12th straight win on Friday. In spring training, the Reds were an afterthought, but now with De La Cruz in their lineup, they're a force to be reckoned with. His batting average is .367, and his OPS is 1.091. The feat of hitting for the cycle has only been accomplished three times this year, with De La Cruz joining the Florida Marlin's Luis Arraez and the Baltimore Orioles' Cedric Mullins. This young pirate is making a name for himself in the baseball world.