CINCINNATI — It was a Thursday afternoon when the rising superstar took on the future Hall of Famer.
Reds rookie switch-hitter Elly De La Cruz had her first foray as a right-hander in the big leagues against Dodgers great left-hander Clayton Kershaw. Despite being challenged by Kershaw in Cincinnati’s 6-0 loss to Los Angeles, De La Cruz still capped his first series with an infield hit, finishing the game 4-11 and two walks in three games.
“That was good. He still has a long way to go,” said Reds manager David Bell. “I know we’re going to talk a lot about him, but this is a great start. It’s good that it was here in Cincinnati.”
During the second inning of his 1-on-4 day, De La Cruz gently landed a Kershaw fastball 1-0 down the left side of second base. As the 21-year-old headed for first baseball, second baseman Miguel Vargas threw a desperate pitch.
“I knew from the start I had this,” De La Cruz said of translator Jorge Merlos. “I knew I just had to run hard and get to first base.”
There was no chance for Vargas to knock out De La Cruz, who scored with an infield single. The Dodgers were lucky Vargas’ wild throw didn’t go into the Cincinnati dugout and gave De La Cruz second base.
Two batters later, De La Cruz took it anyway.
When Tyler hit Stephenson and saw a 0-1 curveball, De La Cruz ran to second base and snatched the ball with a headfirst skidding ball in front of catcher Austin Barnes, who missed the target.
De La Cruz became the second player in major league history to hit a home run, a triple, a double, a single and a stolen base in his first three games. The only other time this was achieved was in 1953 by Milwaukee Braves’ Bill Bruton.
“What can I say? You just put in all your work and try to see if it works,” De La Cruz said of his first series. “You just come out the next day and try to improve on the day before. “
De La Cruz’s remaining three plate appearances resulted in strikeouts, including two against Kershaw. In the fourth inning, he shot an 87-mile slider with a foul in the glove of Barnes.
At the end of the sixth inning, with runners on the corners, De La Cruz executed two calls before landing a 74-mph curveball in the dirt. He was way ahead with his swing.
“I was looking for something up in the zone,” De La Cruz said of his general approach against Kershaw. “Obviously he has a lot of shots that he’s good at throwing and he executed them well.” But hopefully I can execute my swings better.”
The Reds still had their third win in a row in their last four games. There was a noticeable increase in the tension in the atmosphere from the fans at the Great American Ball Park. While De La Cruz is partially responsible for that, there were also two big comebacks for walk-off wins in the first two games against Los Angeles.
“We notice and appreciate that,” Bell said. “It’s something we can use to our advantage. Everyone loves to be part of an energetic experience.”
Now the Reds will try to maintain their momentum on a ten-day, nine-game road trip through St. Louis, Kansas City and Houston.
It is also the first time the De La Cruz show has toured. Cincinnati certainly got a boost from its No. 1 contender this week, but the journey will be a major test for the third-placed Reds, who have been up since April 24 10:19 p.m.
Cincinnati, which ranks second in MLB with 19 comeback wins and is tied with three teams with the most walkoff wins (five), has received contributions across its roster — especially from its younger players.
“We’re at the very beginning,” Bell said. “One of the things that happens when you’re a good team is that you come to the stadium and you really feel like you’re going to win the game. You don’t know exactly how, but often.” “It’s someone different every day. That’s a great feeling.”