The script would have De La Cruz hitting a dramatic grand slam home run on Elly De La Cruz Bobblehead Night.
But it happened. It was live and in vivid color, a grand slam home run off Pittsburgh’s Andrew Heaney. And, of course, it came on a 3-and-2 count with two outs.
It launched the Reds to a 5-2 victory that clinched their second straight series win and was their fourth win in five games and fifth win in seven games.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
De La Cruz’s extravaganza overshadowed pitcher Andrew Abbott’s season debut after a lengthy stay on the injured list with a rotator cuff strain.
Abbott pitched five innings and gave up one run and two hits while walking one and striking out five. He retired nine of the first ten Pirates.
The run came on a fifth-inning home run by Andrew Canario, his second hit of the season.
The night, though, belonged to De La Cruz. He gave the 31,888 in Great American, most clutching his bobblehead, what they came to get and what they came to see.
With one out in the third, Santiago Espinal hustled a hit into a double. With two outs, Heaney hit two straight batters, TJ Friedl and Blake Dunn, loading the bases.
Heaney grabbed a 1-and-2 advantage on De La Cruz, batting right-handed. Then missed with two curveballs. Then De La Cruz got what he wanted, a 90 miles per hour four-seam fastball.
And De La Cruz loosened all the seams with a 388-foot blast that crashed off the facing of the upper deck.
“I was fighting and fighting that at-bat and I win,” he said. Of the 3-and-2 count, he said, “It’s better that way. He has to come with juice (fastball) and you can’t miss it.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Fans estimated in the thousands lined up outside the stadium two hours before the gates opened, to get their bobblehead and the grand slam bonus De La Cruz provided.
“That was really special, because that’s a lot good fans,” he said. “They are special. I feel really good to do that on my bobblehead night.”
The home run came with De La Cruz batting right-handed, where he has struggled. But he said, “I feel very comfortable from both sides right now.”
Ten games ago, De La Cruz drove in seven runs in one game, but since then was hitting .154 with five RBIs.
Amazingly, De La Cruz was given an opportunity for a second grand slam. The Reds filled the baes with two outs in the seventh.
But that would have been too, too much. With the crowd standing and chanting, “Elly, Elly, Elly,” grounded into an inning-ending force play.
Heaney, a left-hander, came into the game with a 1.50 earned run average. In his previous start, he struck out 10 New York Yankees and left with a 4-1 lead, but the bullpen blew the save.
In his other start, he also left with a lead and the bullpen blew that one, too. And he hadn’t given up a home run...until Elly elevated that fastball.
It is getting to the point where De La Cruz couldn’t be more frightening to pitchers than if he walked to home plate carrying a chainsaw instead of a torpedo bat.
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Credit: AP
“When you get to Elly, there is always that chance,” said manager Terry Francona. “It doesn’t happen a lot, but that’s a game-changer right there.”
For the second straight night, the Reds made the most of little. Both nights they scored five runs on four hits and did all their damage in one inning.
After De La Cruz’s home run, the Reds had two singles the rest of the way. Francona, though, expects a turnaround from his Hitless Wonders.
“Guys get to their level, if they’re healthy,” he said. “I don’t have the formula for it, it just happens. As cold as guys get, they get just as hot. That’s why you don’t give up on guys too quick. It will even out. I really believe that.”
Right now the Reds depend upon pitching and defense. After Abbott left, the bullpen held the Pirates to one run and two hits. Stand-in closer Emilio Pagan pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save.
Noelvi Marte made his first start and made three eye-catching plays at third base and second baseman Santiago Espinal made a dazzling catch, running from second base to the stored tarp to snag a foul ball.
Winning their second series in a row is the first time that happened since last mid-July when they took three-of-four from Colorado and two-of-three from Miami.
Abbott was pleased with his performance, but even more pleased to see De La Cruz’s grand slam.
“That takes a little bit of the pressure off,” he said. “Gives you a little wiggle room, but you want to keep your foot on the pedal the whole time.
“He’s a difference-maker,” he added. “Everybody in the room knows that. One swing of the bat, one stolen base, one crazy defensive play —he does it all for us and I’m just excited he is back there for me.”
And his pitching?
“I executed pretty well overall,” he said. “I hate walking people as I’ve said many years now. I got myself into some good counts and was able to get contact and was able to locate all of my pitches pretty much all night.
“I tip my cap to Canario because he turned on that heater, where we were trying to go and he just got to it,” he said.
But it was Elly Night and as Francona put it, “He gets pitched so tough as premier guys do. He is always one swing away. I don’t worry about him too much. He’s been kinda fun to get know.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
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