Reds speedster Elly De La Cruz circles the bases in less than 15 SECONDS for a rare inside-the-park home run after already launching a 450-foot rocket to center field in Cincinnati’s win over Milwaukee

Elly De La Cruz’s slow start to Elly De La Cruz’s 2024 season ended abruptly Monday when the Cincinnati Reds infielder registered a pair of very different home runs: a dazzling run in the park and a 400-foot bomb that momentarily seemed destined for the banks of the Ohio River.

The home runs are the first two of the current campaign for De La Cruz, who was criticized in 2024 for everything from his defense to his poor field selection.

The 22-year-old Dominican raised his average to a healthy .297 with three hits in Monday’s dramatic 10-8 win over division rival Milwaukee Brewers. He also stole his sixth base of the season – better than all but Brewers second baseman Brice Turang’s seven.

But nothing on Monday could match De La Cruz’s electric home run inside the park.

Not only did he round the bases in less than 15 seconds, but De La Cruz didn’t even get out of the box and still managed to score on the ball that came up the middle by a diving Sal Frelick before rolling to the warning track.

Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz watches his solo home run land 450 feet away to center

De La Cruz reacts after hitting an inside-the-park home run against the Milwaukee Brewers i

“The whole bench was screaming home run as soon as they saw the ball go by,” Reds manager David Bell told reporters afterward. ‘It’s an exciting play. Every second is exciting. But there weren’t that many seconds.’

Frelick took an obvious risk by diving for the ball, but for Brewers manager Pat Murphy, that was a risk he was willing to take given De La Cruz’s wheels.

“I don’t have a problem with Sal diving for that ball because he knows who the batter is,” Murphy told reporters afterward. The speed of ‘The Reds’ that we have been dealing with in recent years. It’s a very good weapon for them.’

“I think running around the bases is my biggest thrill,” says De La Cruz, who recently started using English in interviews instead of as an interpreter. “When I saw him miss the ball, I said, ‘I’m going home.’ It’s my mentality. I always think about the extra base.’

And that was just one of De La Cruz’s home runs on Monday.

It took Elly De La Cruz 14.96 seconds to run 100 meters around the bases on Monday

The other landed right in the batter’s eye at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park, giving De La Cruz a little more time to admire the longball.

“The first (home run) was on the pitch I was looking for,” De La Cruz said of the fifth-inning dinger.

After a brilliant start to his career in 2023, De La Cruz struggled down the stretch before finishing the season with a disappointing .300 on-base percentage and .235 average.

His 35 stolen bases were a pleasant surprise, but they hardly offset De La Cruz’s 144 strikeouts in 388 at-bats.

Unfortunately, De La Cruz’s strikeout rate is actually up this year, as he whiffed in 46 percent of his at-bats, compared to 36 percent in 2023.

It was all part of a remarkable day for the 6-4 Reds, as right fielder Will Benson also homered and Spencer Steer had two RBIs.

“It’s unbelievable, but we’re looking at the work to put Elly in that position,” Bell said. ‘He worked so hard. It’s nice to see it paying off.’

The Reds led 8-0 after four innings and 9-3 after five. And the Brewers almost rallied for an improbable victory.

Milwaukee’s Brice Turang hit a two-run homer in the fifth and a two-run double in the sixth. Christian Yelich’s two-run shot in the seventh – his fourth home run of the season – brought the Brewers within one.

Trailing 10-8 in the ninth, Milwaukee had runners on the corners with two outs. But Alexis Díaz earned his second save when he retired Rhys Hoskins on a fly ball to right.

Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds celebrates with Will Benson after hitting a solo home run

Milwaukee third baseman Joey Ortiz committed two of the team’s three errors, and Cincinnati scored four unearned runs.

Benson’s second homer of the season lifted Cincinnati to a 2-0 lead in the second. It was his first career home run off a lefty.

Benson added an RBI double in the fourth and scored on Steer’s double, allowing the Reds to build an 8–0 lead.

Aaron Ashby (0-1) was charged with eight runs, four earned and six hits in 3 2/3 innings in his first start of the year for the Brewers. The left-hander missed last season after shoulder surgery.

Cincinnati starter Graham Ashcraft (1-1) shutout Milwaukee in the first four innings, but then faltered. He allowed six runs, five earned and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Stuart Fairchild gave the Reds a lift when he robbed Willy Adames of a solo home run with a leaping grab in the sixth. Fairchild also walked twice and scored a run.