Wednesday’s game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals was quite eventful.
The surging Reds won, 9-2, and showed the world why they are one of the most exciting teams in baseball at the moment.
They were led by young phenom Elly De La Cruz, who went 3-for-6 with two runs, an RBI, a home run, and a stolen base.
It was De La Cruz who was at the center of the controversy this time, but not because of something he did.
“Nationals manager Davey Martinez had the umpires check Elly De La Cruz’s bat in the 2nd inning. In the 5th inning, he hit a 455 ft home run and had this reaction,” FOX Sports MLB tweeted.
Nationals manager Davey Martinez had the umpires check Elly De La Cruz’s bat in the 2nd inning.
In the 5th inning, he hit a 455 ft home run and had this reaction 👀😈
(via @reds)pic.twitter.com/Ph2JvxE0hN
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 6, 2023
The reaction the tweet is referring to is De La Cruz pointing to his bat immediately after hitting the home run, as if we was telling Martinez to have the umpires check that bat as well.
It seems De La Cruz took the fact that Martinez suspected foul play personal; and in his second at-bat, he proceeded to unload a monster home run off Nationals starter Josiah Gray.
After the big game, De La Cruz is slashing .318/.356/.536 with four home runs, 11 stolen bases, 25 runs scored, and an .892 OPS.
This comes after he had a highly successful stint in Triple-A, with a 1.031 OPS.
De La Cruz has had some issues with strikeouts, but his game is absolutely electric and he is one of the reasons why the Reds have become one of the most exciting and likable squads in the league.
NEXT:
List Highlights An Elite Stretch For The Reds