Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz delivered one of the most stunning defensive plays of the Major League Baseball season on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. During the bottom of the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dodgers right fielder Teoscar Hernández drove a fastball from Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo deep to center field, according to Sports Illustrated. Dane Myers dove and missed the ball, allowing it to carom toward the wall as Hernández attempted to stretch a triple into an inside-the-park home run, as detailed by the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Elly De La Cruz Makes History with 105.3 MPH Throw to Stop Inside-the-Park Home Run
Left fielder JJ Bleday retrieved the ball and fired a relay to De La Cruz, who was positioned in shallow center field. De La Cruz received the throw and uncorked a 105.3 mph throw to catcher Jose Trevino, nailing Hernández at home plate and erasing the inside-the-park home run attempt, per Sports Illustrated.
Statcast Context and Rare Arm Strength Company
According to Sports Illustrated, Statcast clocked the throw at 105.3 mph. Bleacher Report noted that during the previous season, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz recorded a 105.2 mph throw to throw out J.P. Crawford at the plate. The only faster throw tracked by Statcast since it began measuring totals in 2015 was a 105.5 mph outfield assist by New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks during the 2016 campaign.
I think he’s the only one who can throw me out in that situation,
Hernández said, according to The Athletic. Him, or somebody close to him with the strength in his arm. But we got to respect him.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also praised the play postgame, as reported by The Athletic: As a fan, it was fun to see Elly throw the baseball 105 mph, too. You don’t see that every night. A guy who can hit the ball 400 feet and throw 105 mph, I put my fan cap on for that one, for tonight.
Offensive Brilliance and Historic Streak
De Kruz’s defensive heroics were paired with another stellar performance at the plate. Earlier in the third inning, he hit a two-run home run off reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, which left his bat at 109.4 mph, per The Athletic. According to USA Today, that blast tied his career-high of 25 home runs on the season, matching the franchise record for a switch hitter achieved in his 2024 All-Star campaign, though reached in just 126 games compared to 160 games previously.
Sports Illustrated noted that the home run extended De La Cruz‘s streak to four consecutive games with a home run. According to research by Matt Wilkes cited by Sports Illustrated, this accomplishment makes him one of just 11 hitters in Reds history to record multiple streaks of at least four consecutive games with a home run. The exclusive group includes Johnny Bench, Jay Bruce, Adam Dunn, Ken Griffey Jr., Ted Kluszewski, Tony Perez, Frank Robinson, Eugenio Suarez, George Foster, and Joey Votto.
Team Standing and Ongoing Resurgence
Despite the individual brilliance of De La Cruz, the Reds fell to the Dodgers in a 3-2 contest on Tuesday, as reported by The Athletic. While the Cincinnati franchise sits outside the National League playoff picture, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated highlight the shortstop as a major bright spot. USA Today noted that manager Terry Francona suggested a three-week absence in June due to a hamstring injury, alongside strategic rest days as a designated hitter, have helped keep the 24-year-old player notably fresh and productive down the stretch in September.
