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Detroit, June 16: Elly De La Cruz wasn’t just the best player on the field in Sunday’s series finale between the Cincinnati Reds and the Detroit Tigers—he was the headline, the highlight reel, and the heartbreak all wrapped into one.
Elly De La Cruz Turns a Close Game into a Reds Clinic
The Reds beat the Tigers 8–4 in the final game of the weekend set, and they did it with a firestorm of offense—and one unforgettable defensive play that belonged squarely to De La Cruz.
In the third inning, with the Tigers threatening, Javier Báez raced toward home after a hit to shallow right. That’s when De La Cruz, stationed out near the grass, uncorked a 98.3 mph laser to the plate that erased the go-ahead run and sent Comerica Park into stunned silence. According to MLB.com, the throw is now the fourth-fastest infield relay ever recorded by Statcast—and three of the top five now belong to De La Cruz.
A play like that would be enough for most players to hang their hat on. But not for Elly.
In the very next inning, he crushed a 402-foot solo homer, his third home run in as many games, and did it with a 110.1 mph exit velocity. It was more than just a show of strength—it was a statement: Cincinnati’s young phenom is doing things we’ve never seen before.
Reds Blow It Open With Six-Run Fifth
If the De La Cruz show hadn’t sealed Detroit’s fate, the fifth inning surely did. The Reds erupted for six runs, capped by a grand slam from Tyler Stephenson that cleared the left-center seats and broke the game wide open.
Spencer Steer and Matt McLain added their own long balls, turning a tight game into a Reds rout by the middle innings. According to Reuters, that rally flipped all the momentum after Detroit had kept things close through four.
Meanwhile, Brady Singer gave the Reds exactly what they needed on the mound—six strong innings, just one earned run, and his seventh win of the season.
Tigers Falter Behind Flaherty
For Detroit, this game was yet another missed opportunity. Starter Jack Flaherty had looked solid to start the year, but on Sunday he fell apart, surrendering seven earned runs in under five innings, ballooning his ERA from 3.41 to over 4.00.
Detroit did manage to scratch out a run in the fourth, but it was too little, too late—and they stranded too many when it mattered most.
“We had chances early,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch reportedly said postgame. “But you don’t take advantage and a team like the Reds will bury you.”
De La Cruz’s Season Keeps Gaining Steam
With every game, Elly De La Cruz seems to add another chapter to what’s becoming one of baseball’s most electrifying stories. Through 71 games, he’s slashing .267/.329/.498 with 15 home runs, 47 RBI, and 20 stolen bases. And in his last 15 games, he’s raised that to .314 AVG, 4 homers, and 7 RBI, as per FantasyPros.
He’s not just a highlight reel. He’s becoming the kind of player who can tilt the outcome of a game in three or four different ways—defense, speed, power, and presence.
A Series Split That Feels Like a Loss for Detroit
After taking the opener, the Tigers had a chance to take the series—but Cincinnati’s Sunday answer was loud and clear. Detroit’s pitching staff stumbled badly, and their bats stayed quiet outside of a brief fourth-inning spark.
With the All-Star break creeping closer, the Reds look like a team climbing toward something. The Tigers? They’re still searching for answers, especially on the mound.
If De La Cruz keeps playing like this, Cincinnati may not need to look back. They’ve got a game-changer who just might take them there.
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