Elly De La Cruz’s standout performance propelled the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. De La Cruz, who hit a three-run homer, drove in four runs, and scored twice, joined elite company alongside Eric Davis and Barry Larkin as one of the only Reds players to achieve 25 homers and 65 stolen bases in a season. Expressing her joy, De La Cruz stated, “It means a lot to me, those are great players. I feel great. I wanted to finish strong.”

In Friday night’s game, De La Cruz achieved another milestone by stealing his 100th career base in just his 251st game. Meanwhile, rookie Rhett Lowder excelled on the pitching mound, giving up only five hits in five innings to secure his second win of the season. Despite falling behind 3-0 to Connor Joe with runners in scoring position, Lowder remained composed and struck out Joe before getting Nick Yorke to fly out, effectively ending the threat. Reds manager David Bell praised Lowder’s ability to make crucial pitches in pressure situations, highlighting the young pitcher’s maturity and preparedness.

Offensively, De La Cruz kickstarted the Reds’ scoring with a double and a run in the third inning. Ty France’s 13th homer of the season further extended the lead to 3-0 before De La Cruz’s monumental three-run homer in the fourth inning expanded the gap to 6-0. Despite a late solo home run by Billy Cook, the Pirates struggled to match the Reds’ dominant performance.

Looking ahead, the Pittsburgh Pirates will rely on RHP Paul Skenes with an impressive 2.07 ERA, while the Cincinnati Reds anticipate the return of RHP Hunter Greene from the injured list for his first start since mid-August.