British stone. PETERSBURG, Fla. – When Sal Stewart pulls off an Elly De La Cruz-esque feat while De La Cruz is playing what he considers to be his best defensive performance, something is definitely going right for the Cincinnati Reds these days.
“Every game looks a little different, but we always find a way,” Reds pitcher Rhett Lord said of the team’s 15-8 start, which has given them their fourth straight win and No. 1 ranking.
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You could pick any number of big plays as highlights from Monday night’s series-opening win against the Rays. But even Stewart’s imitation of De La Cruz’s double, steal of third ball and sprint home on a wild pitch couldn’t take away from De La Cruz’s performance in the third inning that sealed a 6-1 victory.
Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, a close friend of De La Cruz, pushed a 113-mph grounder into left field that looked solid enough that it might even close the gap — until De La Cruz caught it with full extension at the last moment of his sprint to the hole.
Then he jumped up and threw a strike to first base at about the same speed as his bat, taking the ball half a step out.
Of all the highlights, “this is one of the best,” De La Cruz said. “So far.”
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Throwing is probably as good as diving circles.
Regardless, it was a relief to the teammates.
“Weft!” said Stewart. “What a show!” I was sitting there thinking, ‘Damn, there’s no way. ‘It was an unbelievable game. Another one of the many things he did that left us all in awe. “
De La Cruz, who was told to turn down an invitation to play in the World Baseball Classic this spring for the Dominican Republic as he continues to recover from last year’s quadriceps injury, took time before the game to talk with Caminero about his friend’s experience in the tournament.
Hours later, Caminero gestured to a smiling de la Cruz after the show, mimed eating and then waved.
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“I’m not going to give him any food tomorrow. We’re talking about exchanging some stuff, but I’m not going to give him anything,” Caminero told Rays reporters after the game.
“Hey, you gotta do it,” De La Cruz said of stealing his partner’s success.
Caminero: “Ellie is my brother, that’s the game.”
That’s how the season started for the Reds, who kept winning, especially on the road, improving their record to 9-2.
De La Cruz agreed that the win against the Rays was a sign of how well the club’s hitting has caught up with pitching and defense, which have been key to their success thus far.
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“We can do more than that,” he said. “We don’t always hit the target, but when we’re (right) we can do a lot of things.”
The atmosphere in the clubhouse was great last year during head coach Tito Francona’s first season and playoffs, but this time it’s different.
“It’s a different feeling,” De La Cruz said. “We’re a playoff team.”
This article originally appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer: ‘Woof!’ See what Eli De La Cruz did to give the Reds another win this time
