Elly De La Cruz hit two tape-measure home runs, doubled, singled and drove in a career-high seven runs to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 14-3 rout of the visiting Texas Rangers Monday night.
De La Cruz matched Javier Valentin on July 17, 2005 for the most runs driven in by a switch-hitter in a single game in club history.
Matt McLain added his third homer of the season and drove in three runs for the Reds, who scored three runs in each of the first two innings to coast to the win.
Making his Cincinnati debut, right-hander Brady Singer (1-0) fired seven shutout innings of one-hit ball. He walked two and struck out eight.
Singer was in complete command throughout. Only one batter reached second base against Singer, when Adolis Garcia doubled down the left field line with one out in the second. Singer then retired Jake Burger and Josh Smith without Garcia advancing to third.
With 14 runs of support, Singer cruised to the win while throwing 92 pitches.
Singer became the first pitcher since 1900 to throw seven scoreless innings and allow just one hit in his Cincinnati debut.
The only troubling news for the Reds was first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand getting hit on the right hand by a fastball from Rangers reliever Gerson Garabito in Cincinnati's six-run sixth inning. It was the same hand on which he had wrist ligament surgery last July after Rangers right-hander Michael Lorenzen hit him with a pitch in a game on April 27, 2024.
Encarnacion-Strand stayed in Monday's game, ran the bases and scored before coming out for a defensive replacement in the seventh.
It was a cold night in Cincinnati, as a stiff breeze blew in from left field combined with a game-time temperature of 44 degrees.
However, the fans who did attend were treated to an early offensive display by the Reds. TJ Friedl opened with a single against Texas starter Kumar Rocker (0-1). McLain followed with a long homer to the seats in left-center, staking Singer to a 2-0 lead.
Rocker was charged with six runs and seven hits over three innings, striking out three, walking two and giving up two home runs.
Burger belted a two-run homer for Texas in the ninth, his first long ball of the season.
--Field Level Media