Elly De La Cruz turned a routine out into the kind of eighth-inning sequence that empties a dugout. The Reds shortstop chased Kyle Tucker toward third base, hauled in an off-line throw at full speed and beat the Dodgers runner to the bag with a diving tag.
Elly De La Cruz Creates Rare 5-3-6 Double Play Against Dodgers
SEO Title: Elly De La Cruz Turns Rare 5-3-6 Double Play for Reds
SEO Description: Elly De La Cruz raced Tucker to third, caught Sal Stewart’s throw behind him and completed a rare 5-3-6 double play against the Dodgers.
Quick facts
- The play came in the eighth inning Tuesday, with one out and Tucker at first base.
- Max Muncy hit a slow grounder to third baseman Juan Brito, who was positioned near second.
- Brito retired Muncy at first, but Tucker tried to advance when third base was uncovered.
- First baseman Sal Stewart threw toward third, where De La Cruz arrived in time to tag Tucker.
- It was only the second 5-3-6 double play recorded since the beginning of the 2024 season.
Muncy’s roller gave Brito the first out, but Tucker saw an opening after rounding second. With nobody stationed at third, he tried to grab an extra base while Brito’s throw completed the putout at first.
De La Cruz read the developing play from the middle of the diamond and took off beside Tucker. Stewart attempted to put the throw in front of him, but it arrived slightly behind the sprinting shortstop.
That did not slow De La Cruz. He reached back for the ball while still moving, then went to the dirt at third and applied the tag a split second before Tucker’s slide reached the base.
The official scoring produced a 5-3-6 double play, an unusual route made possible by De La Cruz’s recognition and closing speed. The only other such double play since 2024 came in April last season, when Anthony Volpe reached third ahead of Matt Chapman.
Reds manager Terry Francona said he would have preferred pitcher Graham Ashcraft or catcher Will Banfield to be available near the base, but called it “an extremely good play.”
The play added another entry to a strong stretch against Los Angeles for the 24-year-old. During the Reds’ visit to Los Angeles last week, De La Cruz fired a 102 mph relay from the outfield to erase a possible inside-the-park homer.
That throw topped his own mark for the hardest tracked assist by an infielder. Then, in Monday’s home game against the Dodgers, he launched a 457-foot home run beyond Great American Ball Park.
Power, arm strength and instinct have all shown up in De La Cruz’s Dodgers series. Tuesday’s highlight belonged to his legs.
