Elly De La Cruz got the last laugh on Wednesday night, but Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez wants him to tone it down a bit.
The Nats had the Cincinnati Reds rookie phenom’s bat checked during his second-inning at-bat, as a tracking device was on it.
Umpires told him to remove it, despite it being legal, but De La Cruz got his satisfaction.
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Cincinnati Reds third baseman Elly De La Cruz, #44, gestures after hitting a solo home run against the Washington Nationals during the fifth inning at Nationals Park. (Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports)
In his next at-bat, he blasted a 455-foot home run, and he did not let the Nats’ bench forget what they did prior.
De La Cruz turned to look at the Nationals dugout and pointed to the knob of his bat, which had the device, as part of his taunt.
Martinez says De La Cruz should have just kept it moving.
“I love the way he plays the game, but I didn’t like his antics after he hit the home run. We can do without that. He’s only got two weeks in the big leagues. But he’s gonna be a good player,” Martinez said after the game.
Umpire Quinn Wolcott, #81, hands the bat of Elly De La Cruz, #44 of the Cincinnati Reds, back to him as manager David Bell, #25, looks on in the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 5, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
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The World Series-winning manager said he was all good with the device when umps deemed it legal, and he said he was not “trying to penalize” De La Cruz or the Reds.
Martinez was a bit off in his words on De La Cruz, however – he has one month in the big leagues, and he is making the most of it.
The Reds are 21-6 since they called up their top prospect, who is hitting .318 with a .892 OPS since joining the big leagues. In his 15th MLB game, he hit for the cycle.
Elly De La Cruz, #44 of the Cincinnati Reds, high-fives teammates after winning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 4, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)
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Cincinnati is one of baseball’s biggest surprises this season, as they lead the NL Central with their 48-39 record. They took down the Nats, 9-2, thanks to De La Cruz’s 3-for-6 night.
De La Cruz certainly brings a new flavor to the diamond, and it is certainly working for the Reds.
