Elly De La Cruz becomes first Reds player to steal every base in single inning since 1919: How it happened

Elly De La Cruz stole every base to score and give the Cincinnati Reds a 7-5 lead in the top of the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:

De La Cruz stole second base, third base and home plate, becoming the first Reds player to steal all three in the same inning since Greasy Neale in 1919.
In 29 games played this season, De La Cruz has 40 hits, four home runs and 16 stolen bases.
The Reds defeated the Brewers 8-5. Cincinnati improved to 50-40, sitting in first place in the National League Central.

ELLY DE LA CRUZ STOLE EVERY BASE@ellylacocoa18 pic.twitter.com/FrDKGn3pwl

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 8, 2023

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

How it happened

On one hand, you’ve got to give it to Elvis Peguero, who did something nobody else has seemed to be able to do — take his eyes off De La Cruz. On the other hand, the Brewers reliever turned his back after De La Cruz stole third and the Reds rookie sensation took advantage, stealing home, giving the Reds a two-run lead, just three pitches after he gave the team the lead with an RBI single. — Rosecrans

The Cincinnati sensation

Ever since his debut on June 6, De La Cruz has been the most exciting player in baseball. It almost seems like hyperbole at this point, but the 21-year-old switch-hitting shortstop/third baseman has taken the game by storm. His first home run came in his second game and went to the final row of Great American Ball Park, nearly 500 feet away. He also tripled in that game. In his 15th game in the big leagues, he hit for the team’s first cycle since 1989.

It was in that game that he hit for the cycle, against the Braves on June 23, that De La Cruz tried to steal home and failed. This time, though, he was successful.

De La Cruz has several infield singles, including at least two hit to the first baseman, as well as four homers and now has 16 steals on the season. Over the last five games, he’s 12-for-22, including two Saturday against the Brewers.

The Reds are 22-7 since De La Cruz was called up. The Reds were in third place in the NL Central when he was called up, 5 1/2 games behind the Pirates and five games behind the Brewers. With the win Saturday, the Reds are two games ahead of the second-place Brewers, guaranteed to enter the All-Star Break alone atop the division. — Rosecrans

What they’re saying

Reds manager David Bell spoke to reporters about De La Cruz’s stolen bases.

“The speed is obvious, right? Elite speed, like maybe we’ve never seen, but also how heads-up it was,” Bell said. “We saw it in the dugout, he rounded third as he stole third base and that never happens, so we knew something was about to happen.

“It was like he was on a mission to score.”

Required reading

(Photo: Katie Stratman / USA Today Sports)