DETROIT — Elly De La Cruz was the star player for the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, hitting a home run, scoring three times, and driving in three runs to guide his team to an 8-4 victory against the Detroit Tigers.
De La Cruz’s performance was instrumental as the Reds mounted a comeback from a two-run deficit. He helped the team find momentum by first singling and scoring in the fourth inning. Later, in a crucial eighth inning, he struck an RBI single and later crossed the plate during a pivotal four-run rally. To cap off a stellar night, De La Cruz smashed a two-run homer in the ninth inning, marking his fourth consecutive game with a home run—a personal best.
The Tigers’ defensive woes contributed significantly to their downfall, as three errors allowed five unearned runs. The Reds’ comeback started in the eighth inning when TJ Friedl hit a grounder that pitcher Brant Hurter failed to handle properly, resulting in a two-base error. This error set the stage for Cincinnati’s rally.
Will Vest, the Tigers’ closer, took the mound, only to face more trouble. Matt McLain’s single placed runners on the corners, and De La Cruz drove in a run with another single. A subsequent failed double-play attempt kept the bases loaded, enabling Will Benson to tie the game with a sacrifice fly. Gavin Lux followed with an RBI single, and an errant pitch allowed another run, prompting Vest to leave the game due to a potential injury.
Earlier, Detroit had jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third inning courtesy of Jahmai Jones’ home run, but Cincinnati responded with two runs in the fourth. Thanks to De La Cruz’s single and a throwing error by Sawyer Gipson-Long, Tyler Stephenson delivered a run-scoring single, while another mishap by Javier Báez led to a sacrifice fly from Connor Joe.
A significant moment came when the Reds had opportunities to score in both the fifth and seventh innings with runners in prime scoring slots, but regrettably, both attempts were quashed by inning-ending double plays from McLain and Spencer Steer.
Over the recent road trip, De La Cruz was a standout player for Cincinnati, posting a .462 batting average with four home runs, six RBIs, and eight runs scored.
Looking ahead, both teams are set to begin three-game series starting Tuesday. The Tigers will host the Pittsburgh Pirates at home, with Casey Mize (6-2, 2.95 ERA) set to start against Pirates’ Bailey Falter (5-3, 3.36 ERA). Meanwhile, the Reds will head back to Cincinnati to face the Minnesota Twins, where Andrew Abbott (6-1, 1.87 ERA) will start against the Twins’ David Festa (1-1, 4.76 ERA).