Elly De La Cruz: Ranking his top three performances with the Reds

In 108 games over the last two seasons, the second-year Reds infielder has produced more than his fair share of memorable moments. Here’s a glance at his top three games:

1. June 23, 2023: In the 15th game of his career, De La Cruz hit for the cycle in front of a sellout crowd at Great American Ball Park against the Atlanta Braves, becoming the seventh player in franchise history to record that feat and the first since Eric Davis in 1989.

De La Cruz, who made his big-league debut on June 6, doubled in the first, homered in the third, singled in the fifth and tripled in the sixth.

2. April 8, 2024: De La Cruz became the first Red to hit multiple home runs in a game with one of them being an inside-the-park home run since Dan Driessen on May 31, 1982.

De La Cruz went 3-for-4 with four runs scored, two home runs, two RBIs and a stolen base.

According to OptaSTATS, De La Cruz “became the first player in MLB history to homer from both sides of the plate, hit an over-the-fence HR and an inside-the-park HR, score four (or more) runs and steal a base all in the same game.”

De La Cruz also became the the third Red to homer from both sides of the plate in the same game. The others were: Javier Valentin (July 17, 2005, vs. the Colorado Rockies); and and Pete Rose (Aug. 2, 1967 vs. the Braves; and Aug. 30, 1966 vs. the St. Louis Cardinals).

3. July 8, 2023: De La Cruz stole second, third and home in the same inning in an 8-5 victory against the Brewers at Great American Ball Park. De La Cruz stole the bases on just two pitches.

De La Cruz was the the first Red to steal home since Brandon Phillips in 2009 and the first Red to do it in one inning since 1919.