PHOENIX (AP) — JJ Bleday hit for the cycle in his first four at-bats, Elly De La Cruz also had four hits and the Cincinnati Reds routed the Arizona Diamondbacks 11-5 on Saturday night.
Bleday doubled in a run off Arizona starter Michael Soroka in the first inning, tripled to score another in the third and greeted reliever Zach Littell with a single in the fourth. He led off the sixth with a line drive over the fence in right field for the fourth cycle
of the season and the eighth in Reds history dating to 1890.
Bleday also hit a deep drive that Arizona center fielder Ryan Waldschmidt ran down at the wall in the seventh and struck out in the ninth The 28-year-old left fielder topped his career high with the homer, his 21st of the season. He hit 20 for the Athletics in 2024.
De La Cruz needed a triple to join Bleday with a cycle, but settled for a four-hit game that included a 450-foot home run to right field in the fifth inning, his 21st of the season.
De La Cruz had the previous Cincinnati cycle, against Atlanta in 2023. Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs, the Phillies' Bryce Harper and Tristan Peters of the White Sox also have cycles this season.
Rookie Héctor Rodríguez added his first career homer in the seventh for the Reds, who finished with 16 hits to back starter Rhett Lowder (5-8), who gave up four runs in six innings. Matt McLain also homered for Cincinnati, his 13th.
Nolan Arenado hit his 21st homer and Tim Tawa his eighth for the Diamondbacks. Soroka (8-4) gave up six hits and six runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Arizona catcher Gabriel Moreno extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a ninth-inning double.
Cincinnati’s Andrew Abbott (6-8, 4.07 ERA) faces fellow left-hander Mitch Bratt (1-2, 4.17) of Arizona on Sunday in the series finale.
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