ST. PETERSBURG -- During Reds batting practice, shortstop Elly De La Cruz spent quite a while chatting and laughing on the field with a friend and fellow Dominican player -- Rays third baseman Junior Caminero.
Later in the game, a 6-1 Cincinnati victory, De La Cruz then robbed his friend, while showing that his well for great defensive plays is not close to going dry.
“One of the greatest. One of the best ones, so far," De La Cruz said of where it ranked among his top plays.
Opening the bottom of the third inning against Reds starter Rhett Lowder in a 3-2 count, Caminero zinged a 112.6 mph grounder. De La Cruz extended to his right with a spectacular diving stop before getting up and throwing an 89.6 mph on-target laser to Sal Stewart to get Caminero at first base for the first out.
Stewart wasn't so sure that De La Cruz could make that one.
“Oof. What a play," said Stewart, whose eighth homer of the season provided an early spark. "I said, ‘Damn, there’s no way.' It just surprises me every time. It was an incredible play and one of the many things that he does where he leaves all of us in awe.”
Every out was important at that point for Lowder, who labored during a 34-pitch first inning and was trying to get some length for his start. The De La Cruz play was part of a nine-pitch inning.
“That was insane. He’s crazy," said Lowder, who allowed one run over six innings. "He’s made plays like that behind me before. It’s just amazing.”
After Caminero was called out, De La Cruz was grinning ear-to-ear and laughing.
As for Caminero, he looked De La Cruz's way and gestured to his friend how he felt about his robbery.
"I'm not going to give him any food tomorrow. We were talking about exchanging something, but I'm not going to give him anything," Caminero joked through an interpreter. "Elly is my brother, and that's just the game. He made a really good play, and just kind of that's what it was.”