Elly approaching rare Reds company with latest blast and steal

ATLANTA -- Elly De La Cruz is poised just outside of the velvet rope to a select group within the Reds that currently has three players. Sal Stewart also has a shot at being part of something exclusive.

For De La Cruz, it's the 30/30 club, which currently has three players in franchise history to have hit 30 home runs with 30 stolen bases in a single season. During a 4-0 Reds win over the Braves on Tuesday at Truist Park, the shortstop hit his 29th homer and also notched his 29th stolen base of 2026.

“Yeah, I want to, but I’m not thinking about that stuff right now," De La Cruz said of completing a 30/30 season. “I’m just enjoying the game."

After drawing a one-out walk in the top of the first inning against Braves starter JR Ritchie, De La Cruz stole second base with a headfirst slide as Stewart struck out.

The game remained scoreless until the top of the third inning when De La Cruz lifted a 2-0 curveball from Ritchie to right field for a two-out solo homer.

De La Cruz, 24, could become the fourth Reds player to reach 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in a single season. He would join Brandon Phillips (2007), Barry Larkin (1996) and Eric Davis (1987).

“He’s been awesome," third baseman Eugenio Suárez said. "It’s really fun to watch him, everything he’s doing on both sides -- on defense, on offense, both sides of the plate. It’s been great. I’m so happy for me being next to him and having good success at the end of the season.

“I tell him, 'Never stop. Be that guy who wants more and more and more every year.'”

Having reached safely in 27 of his past 28 games, De La Cruz is batting .411 with a 1.245 OPS in that stretch with nine homers, seven steals in seven attempts and 26 runs.

“I enjoy every moment, every time I have the opportunity to go out there and have fun. I’m enjoying it, 100 percent," De La Cruz said.

Already a leading candidate for National League Rookie of the Year, Stewart remained at 110 RBIs, one behind Major League leader Alec Burleson of the Cardinals. Since it became an official statistic in 1920, the only rookies ever to finish a season as the Major League RBI leaders are Ted Williams (1939) and Walt Dropo (1950).

Unlike De La Cruz, the 22-year-old Stewart has seen his hitting pace slow over the final month. He has one homer and five RBIs over his past 20 games.

“Obviously it would be really cool. I don’t want to chase that," said Stewart, who has 32 homers. "I just want to go out there and play to the best of my ability, go out there and just have fun. It would be something that only two people have done before, but that’s not my main focus.”

One Red who reached a milestone number was Suárez with his leadoff homer to left-center field in the eighth inning. He became the 10th active player to reach 350 homers for his career.

"I just let it happen, and at some point I knew I would get it," Suárez said. "Today was the night, and I got it done and helped my team win, which was more important.”

Manager Terry Francona downplayed increased interest in the potential individual achievements.

“I want our guys to always do the best they can," Francona said before Tuesday's game. "Obviously, I want Sal to win some awards and things like that. But I don’t get too caught up in the rest of that stuff. I really try to be consistent on, 'Hey, play the game right.' If you start looking at other stuff, you start veering off of playing the game right.”

With that in mind, De La Cruz's penchant for fun appeared to get extra silly again during a second-inning pop-up Ozzie Albies sent into foul territory. Suárez camped under it before De La Cruz playfully shoved him and took the catch himself.

It's something De La Cruz has done to teammates multiple times. It did burn the club once in 2024, when he distracted then-second baseman Jonathan India into making an error.

Not a problem, felt Suárez.

“We’re always joking before the game," Suárez explained. "I told him I would catch every fly I have. I never called that fly because I knew that he would be there. I tried to make it a little fun on that play, and I knew he would catch that one.”

“I called it. I said every fly ball is mine so get out of the way," De La Cruz said.