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The Cincinnati Reds beat the Cleveland Guardians 11-7 on Tuesday night to boost their slender playoff chances. Rookie Elly De La Cruz, who made his debut, has said that the team won't give up.
De La Cruz marked his debut game with two home runs and four runs batted in, while Luke Maile added three RBIs. The Reds' 48th comeback win kept them tied for the Major League lead and gave them a chance to advance to the National League Wild Card round.
De La Cruz made a lone shot off Lucas Giolito in the fourth and slammed a 467-foot rocket to the right of Xzavion Curry in the eighth. Hunter Greene, the opening pitcher, gave up leads to Cleveland of 3-0 after two innings and 7-5 after four, but Cincinnati's offense saved him in a potentially must-win game.
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Elly De La Cruz said tonight felt "awesome" and he's always trying to get better - bally Sports
“It doesn’t matter if the game is close or if we have to come back so hard, that’s why I like this team. We’re never going to give up," Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz said via translator Jorge Merlos. "That’s why this team clicks so well as much as it does.”
A look at Elly De La Cruz's baseball career
De La Cruz joined the Cincinnati Reds on Jul. 2, 2018, as an international free agent, receiving a $65,000 signing bonus.
At the age of 17, De La Cruz made his professional debut in 2019 with the Dominican Summer League Reds. The Reds selected him to play for them in the All-Star Futures Game.
Cruz was named the Midwest League Prospect of the Year, a MiLB Organization All Star and a Midwest League Post-Season All Star. He also won the Reds Minor League Player of the Year, Reds Minor League Player of the Year, according to Baseball America, and Top Prospect in the Midwest League, according to Minor League Baseball.
The youngster received his first promotion to the major leagues on Jun. 6, 2023. He became one of the tallest shortstops in MLB history at 6-foot-5, one of the quickest players in baseball, and the fifth-youngest NL player at the age of 21.
De La Cruz set a new Statcast record for the fastest infield assist on Jul. 16 with a throw that reached a speed of 97.9 mph. He recorded his first career multi-home run game on Sept. 26.
