De La Cruz hits for cycle, Votto belts 2 clutch HRs as Reds outscore Braves

Published 10:30 pm Friday, June 23, 2023


Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz hits a double during the second inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves in Cincinnati, Friday. De La Cruz hit for the cycle as the first Reds player to accomplish the feat since Eric Davis in 1989. The Reds beat the Braves 11-10. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)

CINCINNATI (AP) — Dazzling rookie Elly De La Cruz hit for the cycle, Joey Votto launched tying and go-ahead homers and the Cincinnati Reds extended their winning streak to 12 games Friday night with an 11-10 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

In a wild matchup of National League division leaders, Cincinnati erased an early 5-0 deficit and halted Atlanta’s eight-game winning streak.

The Reds’ winning streak is tied for the second-best in franchise history, matching the 1939 and 1957 teams for the club’s longest since 1900.

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De La Cruz became the first Cincinnati player in 34 years to hit for the cycle. He completed it by the sixth inning with a triple that gave him four RBIs.

The cycle was the seventh in team history, fifth since 1900 and first since Eric Davis accomplished the feat against San Diego on June 2, 1989.

Many in the sellout crowd of 43,086 at Great American Ball Park chanted “Elly! Elly!” The big turnout came two months after a record low for attendance at the ballpark of 7,375 on April 17.

The Reds overcame a five-run Braves first inning against Luke Weaver, two homers by Matt Olson and drives from Travis d’Arnaud, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley to earn their major league-best 27th comeback victory of the season. Three of Atlanta’s homers were hit in the eighth.

Alex Young (3-0), the third of seven Cincinnati pitchers, got two outs for the win. Alexis Díaz pitched a hitless ninth for his 21st save in 21 tries.

Collin McHugh (3-1) took the loss.

Votto produced his 19th career multi-homer game in just his fourth game since being activated Monday from the injured list. He tied it in the fourth and gave the Reds a 9-7 lead with his three-run shot in the fifth. The six-time All-Star and 2010 NL MVP missed roughly four months of games over two seasons while recovering from surgery last August.

His no-doubters covered a combined 843 feet.

Jake Fraley, De La Cruz and Votto homered against rookie starter AJ Smith-Shawver, who blew a 5-0 lead.

The Braves sent nine batters to the plate in the 18-minute top of the first, giving them consecutive five-run innings. They also scored five times in the 10th inning of a 5-1 win at Philadelphia on Thursday.

Weaver threw 43 pitches in the inning. He lasted 3 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and five runs with one walk and three strikeouts.

Smith-Shawver also gave up five runs over 3 1/3 innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: De La Cruz and left fielder Spencer Steer avoided injury after a slight collision as the third baseman was catching Olson’s foul popup near the wall. … RHP Derek Law (right flexor mass strain) threw a bullpen and is expected to pitch Sunday for Class A Dayton on a rehab assignment.

UP NEXT

Reds RHP Graham Ashcraft (3-5) is expected to come off the 15-day injured list (bruised left calf) and make his first start since June 8 on Saturday. He will be opposed by Braves LHP Jared Shuster (4-2).

Atlanta Cincinnati
ab r h bi ab r h bi
Acuña Jr. rf 5 2 3 1 Friedl cf 3 2 0 0
Albies 2b 4 1 1 0 McLain ss 3 1 0 0
Riley 3b 5 3 3 2 India 2b 4 2 1 1
Olson 1b 5 2 2 3 De La Cruz 3b 5 3 4 4
Ozuna dh 5 0 1 0 Fraley rf 4 1 1 2
d’Arnaud c 5 1 2 3 Votto 1b 4 2 2 4
Rosario lf 3 1 2 0 Steer lf 2 0 0 0
Hilliard pr 0 0 0 0 Stephenson dh 3 0 0 0
Arcia ss 5 0 1 1 Maile c 4 0 1 0
Harris II cf 4 0 1 0
Totals 41 10 16 10 Totals 32 11 9 11
Atlanta 500 020 030 10
Cincinnati 022 142 00x 11

E–Maile (3). DP–Atlanta 0, Cincinnati 1. LOB–Atlanta 7, Cincinnati 6. 2B–Arcia (10), Rosario (13), De La Cruz (5). 3B–De La Cruz (2). HR–d’Arnaud (5), Olson 2 (23), Acuña Jr. (16), Riley (13), Fraley (10), De La Cruz (3), Votto 2 (3). SB–Friedl 2 (10), De La Cruz (7), Albies (4), McLain (4).

IP H R ER BB SO
Atlanta
Smith-Shawver 3 1-3 4 5 5 2 4
McHugh L,3-1 1 2 4 4 0 2
Heller 1 2 2 2 3 1
Yates 1 2-3 1 0 0 0 3
Jiménez 1 0 0 0 1 0
Cincinnati
Weaver 3 1-3 7 5 5 1 3
Duarte 1 1-3 3 2 2 0 1
Young W,3-0 2-3 1 0 0 0 0
Gibaut H,7 2-3 0 0 0 1 0
Farmer 1 2 0 0 0 1
Sims 1 3 3 3 0 3
Díaz S,21-21 1 0 0 0 1 0

McHugh pitched to 5 batters in the 5th, Heller pitched to 5 batters in the 6th.

HBP–Smith-Shawver (Steer), McHugh 2 (McLain,India). WP–Smith-Shawver, Weaver.

Umpires–Home, Chad Fairchild; First, Nic Lentz; Second, Brock Ballou; Third, Jeremie Rehak.

T–3:14. A–43,086 (43,891).