Baseball

Like vet, like rookie: Votto, Elly stretch Reds’ streak to 12 in thrilling fashion

CINCINNATI — Two completely different generations of Reds stars — Joey Votto and elly cross — mixed forces on Friday night time for a particular recreation amid a particular successful streak throughout what has all of the makings of a particular season for Cincinnati.

It took an 11-10 thriller earlier than a raucous sellout crowd of 43,086 followers at Nice American Ball Park to defeat the Braves and lengthen the Reds’ successful streak to 12 video games. The 39-year-old Votto hit a game-tying solo residence run and a go-ahead three-run homer.

The 21-year-old rookie De La Cruz managed to overshadow Votto’s effort by hitting for the cycle — one thing not achieved by a Reds hitter in 34 years.

“That’s particular stuff proper there,” Reds second baseman Jonathan India mentioned. “It’s a particular time in Cincinnati and we’re having fun with each a part of it.”

Atlanta, which has the National League’s best recordgot here into Cincy with an eight-game successful streak. For the Reds to maintain their streak alive and finish the Braves’ successful methods, they needed to bounce again from deficits of 5-0 and 7-5 after which maintain on for pricey life after taking an 11-7 lead within the sixth inning and watching it shrink to 11-10 by the ninth.

“I believe video games like this actually present you what’s doable and what we’re able to,” Reds supervisor David Bell mentioned.

A laborious 43-pitch first inning by Reds starter Luke Weaver noticed the Braves 5 runs. Weaver was one strike from limiting the injury to at least one run earlier than Travis d’Arnaud clubbed a three-run homer to right-center area.

“There’s no panic. We’re like, ‘OK, it’s like 0-0 nonetheless,'” India mentioned.

By the second inning, the Reds had a solution. De La Cruz smoked a 116.6 mph line drive off the right-center-field wall for a double. Jake Fraley adopted with a two-run homer to chop the deficit to a few runs.

De La Cruz made it a one-run recreation when he lifted a two-out, two-run homer to proper area within the third inning.

Votto, who’s 4 video games again from getting back from final season’s left shoulder surgical procedure, accomplished the Reds’ first comeback effort along with his game-tying homer to heart area to steer off the underside of the fourth inning.

“These heavyweight fights, hopefully we are able to earn the respect of the opposite heavyweights and swing again,” Votto mentioned.

The Braves took a two-run lead again within the prime of the fifth on Matt Olson’s two-run homer to left area off reliever Daniel Duarte. It did not final lengthy.

Within the backside of the fifth inning, De La Cruz’s third hit — an RBI broken-bat single to heart area — made it a one-run recreation. Two batters later with two outs, Votto hit a 3-1 Collin McHugh sweeper for a three-run homer to right-center area.

“This can be a actually nice expertise for me,” Votto mentioned. “I don’t like getting forward of ourselves, as a result of it’s June. This has been enjoyable up to now. I believe we’ve obtained actually good potential. I believe the typical Reds fan at residence has a group that they, their grandparents [and] youngsters can have a good time watching. As a result of it’s a enjoyable model of baseball.”

Within the sixth in opposition to Braves reliever Ben Heller, De La Cruz hit an RBI triple to proper area to finish the cycle — the first by a Red since Eric Davis on June 2, 1989 — and lengthen the Reds’ result in 11-7.

De La Cruz did not really feel like he upstaged Votto.

“It would not matter who does it within the recreation, we’re all united and that is how we will do that,” De La Cruz mentioned through translator Jorge Merlos.

De La Cruz referred to as it an honor to play with Votto.

“As a result of he is only a legend of the sport,” De La Cruz mentioned. “I like him, he admires me again. He tells me that as properly. I imply, we simply have these conversations time and again, how a lot we respect one another…”

“I did not say I admired you again,” Votto blurted from the again of the press convention room, drawing laughs. “However I do. I do admire you.”

“I heard you say it,” De La Cruz replied, in English.

Votto had bother considering of one other participant to check with De La Cruz.

“Has there been a greater switch-hitting, pace, energy man? The one comp I can consider is Mickey Mantle — a younger Mickey Mantle,” Votto mentioned. “That’s unfair to placed on Elly, [comparing him with] perhaps one of many best gamers of all time. Elly has obtained loads of time to entertain the followers.

“There’s no comparability. I’ve obtained no person to check him to. There’s no precedent that I’ve seen in my expertise. How fortunate are we in Cincinnati to have him?”


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Printed : 2023-06-24 04:08:37

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