In case you forgot Elly De La Cruz is one of the most electric players in baseball, he provided a reminder with yet another highlight-reel play.
De La Cruz lifted the crowd at Great American Ball Park with an incredible display of speed as he hustled from home to home in the Reds’ 4-3 loss to the Blue Jays on Saturday evening.
Facing Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt, who was perfect for the first three innings before TJ Friedl hit a leadoff homer in the fourth, the switch-hitting De La Cruz launched a 1-2 changeup to right field from the left-handed side of the plate. He narrowly missed a home run, and the ball took an awkward bounce off the wall as right fielder Cavan Biggio chased it down.
Matt McLain, who stood at first base after working a walk, darted home, while Biggio threw the ball past the cutoff man and the backup. Noticing the error as he rounded the bases, De La Cruz took the opportunity to run home, beating out a flip to catcher Alejandro Kirk.
Phillies right-hander Michael Lorenzen always wanted to play in the Little League World Series, so he jumped at the chance to be the Phillies’ ambassador for tonight’s Little League Classic and share in the excitement of the kids in attendance.
It is a long way from the Little Leagues to the Major Leagues, but here are 20 players who made it all the way to the Little League World Series before becoming big leaguers.
Today’s Trivia Question
Who holds the Mariners’ record for the most four-hit games in a single season?