Walk-off for Elly! First career winner lifts Reds to twin-bill split with Cards

CINCINNATI — Elly De La Cruz doesn't like getting days off from Reds manager Terry Francona and the superstar shortstop feels barely better about being used as a designated hitter.

But in Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader vs. the Cardinals — a 2-1 Reds loss — De La Cruz went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts and prolonged his two-week slump. Francona made him the DH for Game 2, and this time he didn't get any resistance from De La Cruz.

“I think he knew he was going to lose that one anyway," Francona said.

De La Cruz delivered the biggest hit of the game with an RBI double in the bottom of the 10th inning for a 6-5 Reds win to get a split. It was the first walk-off of the two-time All-Star's career, which began in 2023.

“It’s been a couple of tough days, but we’ve got to stay through it," De La Cruz said. "I didn’t say nothing when he told me to DH. I’ve got to believe that anything he does, it’s good. He’s the one who knows.”

De La Cruz entered the day 7-for-51 (.137) with 14 strikeouts in the previous 14 games heading into Monday.

“He’s a great player. He’s been going through a tough time. Hitters do that," Francona said.

The Reds trailed, 4-1, in the top of the sixth inning before scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, rookie Héctor Rodríguez notched his first career RBIs when he hit a game-tying, two-run single to center field.

St. Louis took a one-run lead against reliever Brock Burke in the eighth inning on Bryan Torres' two-out RBI single. But with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, pinch-hitter Dane Myers came through with a game-tying home run to left field against reliever Peter Strzelecki, who was trying to finish a three-inning save.

“Usually you don’t get to see a guy three innings in relief," Myers said. "So seeing that, kind of seeing him throw from inside the cage and before that at-bat, getting some information from some teammates that faced him in the previous innings, helped a lot."

It was Myers' second homer of the day after he also worked an 11-pitch duel to get a fourth-inning long ball to left field in Game 1. It was his first homer since May 16 and Myers initially appeared to kiss his bat as he started rounding the bases.

“I was actually talking a little mess to her," Myers said. "It had been a while since I hit my last homer. I felt like I’ve been missing a lot of good pitches to hit homers on so I had to let her know it was about time.”

Leading off the bottom of the 10th, De La Cruz, batting right-handed against lefty Justin Bruihl, worked a full count before he scorched a 110.9 mph past the glove of third baseman Blaze Jordan as automatic runner Tyler Stephenson scored the winning run from second base ahead of a desperation heave.

Stephenson, the catcher, entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning.

“The fastest guy on the team was on second, that’s why we won," joked De La Cruz. “I feel good to deliver when the team needed it the most, but it’s not just me. All the guys did a good job and that’s why we got the W.”

As the Reds reached the halfway point of a grueling stretch of 17 games in 16 days, De La Cruz had often played like someone in need of a day off. He hasn't been given one — when healthy and on the active roster — since July 29, 2024, when David Bell was manager. After Francona took over, De La Cruz played all 162 games last season. This season, he missed three weeks on the injured list with a right hamstring strain, but otherwise played every game when available.

In Game 1, De La Cruz's bat left his hands on two swings while whiffing badly, which also happened once on Sunday vs. the Marlins. In the eighth inning, he lost an ABS challenge for a called third strike.

“I think it’s kind of telling that even the one he challenged, the ball had the whole plate. Sometimes you kind of lose where you are," Francona said after Game 1.

Game 2 marked only the fourth time in 2026 that De La Cruz served as the DH.

“If he decides to put me at DH, it’s OK," De La Cruz said. "But not tomorrow though."