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Reds rookie Elly De La Cruz became the youngest major league player to hit for the cycle in 51 years as Cincinnati extended its win streak to 12 games with an 11-10 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.
De La Cruz, 21, doubled to open the second inning, had a two-run homer in the third, hit a run-scoring single to center in the fifth and tripled in the sixth for his fourth RBI of the night. The last hit increased the Reds’ lead to 11-7.
De La Cruz Was in Control
He became the youngest player to hit for the cycle since Houston’s César Cedeño in 1972, according to ESPN Stats & Information. De La Cruz is also the third player since 1901 to hit for the cycle within his first 15 career games.
The cycle was the seventh in Reds history, fifth since 1900 and first since Eric Davis accomplished the feat against the San Diego Padres on June 2, 1989, according to ESPN.
De La Cruz wears the same No. 44 that Davis did.
It is fortunate Eric Davis is one of the legends of this game and in Cincinnati too. Sure enough he let me wear that jersey No. 44, and to be the [first] one since him to do that is incredible.”
“I can’t really put it into words right now,” De La Cruz said through an interpreter. “I’m happy and excited.”
Many in the sellout crowd of 43,086 at Great American Ball Park chanted “Elly! Elly!” The big turnout came two months after a record low for attendance at the stadium of 7,375 on April 17.
“I think this might be the best regular-season game that I’ve been a part of,” Reds manager David Bell said. “I think a lot had to do with the atmosphere in the ballpark. Both teams played a great game. They came up short, but it showed the kind of team they are. It took a lot of great performances to win that game.”
Game recognize Game
2x NFL Super Bowl Champ Patrick Mahomes, a well-documented baseball fan and former high school standout, exchanged a signed No. 15 jersey with De La Cruz, but the young player from the Dominican Republic didn’t quite know the significance.
According to Chiefs Wire, he apparently doesn’t watch football and said he had only ever watched the Chiefs and Mahomes in the Super Bowl LVII.