CINCINNATI — As Monday's 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline creeps closer, there are lots of questions surrounding the Reds about who might stay and who might go. That drama doesn't really extend to shortstop Elly De La Cruz, the superstar who isn't expected to be dealt even if there's a sell off of some sort.
On the other hand, Nathaniel Lowe is a veteran lefty slugger on an expiring contract with a situation that is less firm. In Thursday’s 3-2 Reds win over the Pirates, the two players were the key to a victory during the four-game series opener at Great American Ball Park.
In the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded, Lowe beat out a potential inning-ending double play as De La Cruz scored from third base for the walk-off win.
“Well, I know that today I got a couple of at-bats to help the Reds win. Tomorrow, I’m hopefully going to get more at-bats to help the Reds win," said Lowe, who also hit a double in the second inning. "And if another team wants me to play for them, then if it happens, it happens. But if not, we’re going to push as hard as we can here to make something great happen.”
Meanwhile, De La Cruz led Cincinnati with three doubles while reaching safely four times. He also stole two bases. He became the first Reds player with three or more extra-base hits and multiple steals in a game since the modern stolen base rule was adopted in 1898. But he was the second MLB player to do it in the last week, joining Ryan Kreidler of the Twins on July 26.
Before that, it hadn’t happened since Shohei Ohtani did it for the Dodgers as part of his historic performance on Sept. 19, 2024.
“Right-handed, those were three really good swings. Nice and short to the ball," manager Terry Francona said of De La Cruz's doubles. "Like good baserunners, he smells it coming out of the box. He always gives himself a chance and then with his speed and his strides, he’s in the position where he can take advantage of that.”
De La Cruz's leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth inning off lefty reliever Gregory Soto was scorched at 115.7 mph to left field and set the winning rally in motion. Sal Stewart was intentionally walked and Tyler Stephenson's one-out walk loaded the bases for Lowe.
Having De La Cruz on third base didn't hurt Lowe's chances to make something good happen.
"The tweener ball, he can score. A short fly ball, he can score," Lowe said. "And then obviously early in the count, I like to do a little more damage. It takes a lot of pressure off of the hitter.”
With the infield playing in, Lowe hit a chopper to the middle. Shortstop Jared Triolo made an awkward grab and flipped the ball to second base for the force play. But Lowe beat the throw to first base just in time.
"Soto is so tough. When he’s sinking 100, you just got to put it in play and let something good happen and thankfully, I was able to,” Lowe said. "If I could go back and redo it, I probably wouldn’t swing at that one, but it won the game, so we’ll take it.”
Before closer Emilio Pagán capped a night of three scoreless innings for the Reds’ bullpen in the ninth, starter Rhett Lowder pitched six innings and gave up two runs and five hits with no walks and five strikeouts.
Lowder was staked to a 2-0 lead in the third inning when De La Cruz's RBI double to left-center field scored Matt McLain from first base, and De La Cruz came home on Stewart's RBI single to right field.
It was Stewart's team-leading 80th RBI of the season, and the Reds’ only hit with runners in scoring position in 15 tries. De La Cruz added another double – to right-center field – to lead off the fifth inning, but was left stranded after stealing third base.
With a 51-57 record, the Reds have five clubs between them and the third National League Wild Card berth and slim playoff chances. That makes selling all the more sensible for Cincinnati.
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Lowder is still a rookie (despite a 2024 debut) and expected to remain beyond Monday, but he’s experiencing his first Trade Deadline in the big leagues.
“Honestly, I’m so young and it’s new to me that I really don’t know what to expect," Lowder said. "It’s not really my place to try and guess what’s going to happen. We have a lot of great guys here and when we’re playing good, I just want to continue doing that.”