Elly De La Cruz and the Cincinnati Reds commenced their four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers with a thrilling matchup on Monday, aiming to carry that energy into Tuesday’s game.
Initially establishing an 8-0 lead after four innings, the Reds relied on two home runs from De La Cruz, including an inside-the-park homer, to clinch a 10-8 victory over the Brewers.
Despite the Brewers narrowing the gap with three runs in the fifth, three in the sixth, and two in the seventh, the Reds managed to maintain their lead for the win.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72388144/1500175660.0.jpg)
De La Cruz’s inside-the-park home run proved pivotal, shifting momentum back in favor of Cincinnati.
Reds manager David Bell acknowledged the significance of De La Cruz’s play, stating, “It was an exciting play and all that, but it was a big run in that game because there’s no question, you can feel it, momentum, and they had it at that point.”
Reflecting on past matchups, the Brewers dominated in 10 out of 13 encounters in 2023, securing six wins in Cincinnati. However, the Reds narrowly missed the postseason by two games.
Despite recent losses, Milwaukee boasts a strong record of 35-15 in their last 50 games in Cincinnati since 2018. With aspirations of surpassing the Brewers and claiming the top spot in the NL Central, the Reds have high hopes for the upcoming season.
“We’ve put in a lot of work and we’re ready to go to the World Series,” De La Cruz expressed after Monday’s game.
Under the leadership of new manager Pat Murphy, the Brewers embarked on a promising start by winning six out of their first eight games. However, their seven-game road trip began with a loss on Monday. Following three games in Cincinnati, they are scheduled to play three games in Baltimore.
Despite facing an eight-run deficit and committing three errors resulting in four unearned runs, the Brewers remained competitive, trailing by just one run before the bottom of the seventh inning.
Murphy commended his team’s resilience, stating, “There’s no question, I like the guys in the room. I like the way they respond. That’s a good team across the way. You can’t give them that much rope. We really have played incredible defense up until this point. We didn’t have a good night there. That’s going to happen. We put ourselves in a position to come back. It just wasn’t enough.”
In the upcoming game, the Cincinnati Reds will entrust Frankie Montas (2-0, 0.77 ERA) with the pitching duties. Montas has showcased impressive performances in his initial two starts with Cincinnati, conceding only one run on nine hits across 11 2/3 innings.
He secured his second victory in Philadelphia last Wednesday, surrendering just one run on five hits over 5 2/3 innings. This will mark Montas’ second appearance against Milwaukee, having previously recorded a no-decision in 2022.
On the opposing side, the Milwaukee Brewers will send Joe Ross (0-0, 0.00) to the mound for his second start of the season. Ross commenced his Brewers tenure with 3 2/3 scoreless innings in his debut but struggled with control, issuing five walks in a no-decision against the Twins.
When facing Cincinnati in previous encounters, Ross boasts a 2-0 record with a 2.35 ERA from four starts during his tenure with Washington at Nationals Park.
