ATLANTA – It might not exactly have been Sherman's March, but Elly De La Cruz did his own share of destruction in Atlantathis week, especially on two baseballs he sent to the nether reaches of the outfield seats during the Cincinnati Reds' series win over the playoff-bound Atlanta Braves.
When he clobbered a third-inning pitch well out to right field off former Reds pitcherTyler Mahle in a 7-6 win, it gave him the first 30-homer season of his career – despite missing nearly a month in June with a hamstring injury.
"It's my first time hitting 30 homers," he said. "That's something everybody wants to do, so it's really special."
It also leaves him with just
one stolen base to nab in the final three games of the season in Toronto to join Eric Davis, Barry Larkin and Brandon Phillips among the franchise's only 30-30 players.
He reached 29-29 in the opener of the series two nights earlier in a 4-0 win, stealing a base in the first inning and clubbing a long home run in the third.
Maybe he got the hardest one out of the way after that by getting the home run Thursday?
"Both of them are hard to get," he said. "So you've got to keep grinding."
No. 30 was the ninth of the month of September for him, in just 21 games so far, a franchise record for any calendar month for a switch-hitter.
He's hitting .377 in September with a .792 slugging percentage.
And all of this while playing every game since returning from the IL.
If anything, De La Cruz missed far less time than most with this year’s injury.
“When he came back, he came to me and he said, ‘Trust me,’ “ said manager Terry Francona, who has raved repeatedly about the shortstop’s diligent, daily pre- and postgame maintenance program, especially since the injury.
“This kid, man,” Francona said. “He’s just different. I think some people can almost will themselves to feel better. I think he’s in that group.”
Now he just needs to get to Toronto. And hit the ground running.
"All the time when i'm playing I'm looking to do anything to help win the game," he said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds' Elly De La Cruz gets 30th HR, needs 1 steal in 3 games for 30-30
