Elly De La Cruz commented on his club's recent success.
The Cincinnati Reds almost certainly are not heading to the MLB playoffs this year. They sit 6.5 games back of the final spot in the National League wild card picture, and with less than a month remaining it is likely too much ground to gain.
Still, the Reds are doing their best to make it interesting. Cincinnati had an impressive six-game homestand this past week, taking two of three from both the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers.
The Reds have now taken three straight series, and all three have come against teams currently in the playoff picture. Their most recent win came Sunday in the series finale against the Brewers, and the offense was the story.
In a high-scoring affair at Great American Ball Park, the two teams traded blows all afternoon. Starter Brady Singer struggled to contain Milwaukee's offense, allowing six runs across five innings.
However the Reds offense picked up the slack and gave Cincinnati the victory. Shortstop Elly De La Cruz spoke with reporters after the game and addressed the offensive effort.
"It's always important. We play for each other, and that's a really good team we're facing, so it's really good coming up with a W," De La Cruz said (h/t Mike Petraglia of CLNS Media).
De La Cruz himself had an excellent afternoon as the designated hitter. He has continued to deal with left quad soreness which is keeping him off the field defensively, but it did not affect his production at the plate.
He collected two hits including a home run along with four RBIs, drew two walks and reached base four times, doing his job perfectly out of the two hole in the lineup.
Now in his fourth season, De La Cruz has been one of the only consistent bright spots in this lineup all year. His future with the Reds is uncertain given the franchise needs to pick a direction, and if they choose to retool rather than compete in 2027, trading De La Cruz could make that path considerably easier.
A player of his talent and age would fetch a huge haul of prospects, and as a small-market team the Reds may not be able to give him an extension when he reaches free agency after the 2029 season.
For now though, De La Cruz remains the face of Reds baseball and continues to give fans a reason to come to the ballpark in a year where the team as a whole has taken a step backward.
