Elly De La Cruz Powers Reds to 10-8 Victory Over Cubs

Elly De La Cruz was instrumental in the Cincinnati Reds' offensive surge, delivering a crucial two-run single that helped power his team to a 10-8 win against the Chicago Cubs. De La Cruz had a productive day at the plate, finishing with three hits, including the pivotal base knock that bolstered the Reds' scoring efforts. This marks the second consecutive game the Cincinnati team has achieved a 10-run total.

The Reds' offense proved potent throughout the game, with De La Cruz's hit being part of a larger offensive display that punished Chicago's pitching. The team also benefited from home runs by Tyler Stephenson, Sal Stewart, Jose Trevino, and TJ Friedl. Notably, rookie Sal Stewart had a historic afternoon, hitting his 29th home run of the season and reaching 101 RBIs. This performance surpassed the previous franchise record for a rookie, set by Jim Greengrass in 1953 with 100 RBIs.

Stephenson added to the lead with a three-run homer in the sixth inning, extending Cincinnati's advantage to 7-3. The Cubs attempted a comeback in the late innings, with Pedro Ramírez hitting a three-run homer in the eighth to narrow the gap to 9-7, and Seiya Suzuki adding an RBI double. However, the Reds secured the win in the ninth inning with a solo home run from Friedl, and Emilio Pagán closed out the game for his 18th save of the season.

The win went to Rhett Lowder (6-8), who allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. For Chicago, Thornton (0-1) took the loss after giving up five runs and four hits in just two-thirds of an inning. De La Cruz went 3-for-5 with one run scored and two RBIs, while rookie Héctor Rodríguez was 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI for the Reds.