CINCINNATI (AP) — Elly De La Cruz hit a long homer and had three RBIs, Spencer Steer drove in three runs, and the Cincinnati Reds routed the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-5 on Monday night.
Two-run doubles by Steer and Stuart Fairchild paced a five-run fourth inning for the Reds, which had scored just three total in dropping two of three to the Pirates last week in Pittsburgh.
Reds outfielder Levi Jordan, who made his major league debut at age 28, collected his first RBI on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning.
He had his first hit in the sixth, a double off the wall in right field, and eventually scored.
“It was everything I expected and a lot more,” said Jordan, whose parents were in stands to see his debut. “I’ve never really been in a situation where people cheered for me just for a debut kind of thing. Worth some chills.”
De La Cruz’s big hit also came in the sixth following a one-out double by Jonathan India.
The 22-year-old shortstop hit a 1-0 cutter from reliever Daulton Jefferies 439-feet on to a seating area atop the faux riverboat building that houses the batter’s eye in straight-away center field.
“India and me was talking before the game in practice, (saying) like, nobody can hit the ball up there,” De La Cruz said.
India said the two were teasing each other in batting practice about which one of them could hit the ball the farthest.
“I said, ‘You can’t even hit the boat.’ And then he did it in the game, and I was in awe,” India said. “I can’t believe he did it.”
Carson Spiers (1-1), starting for just the second time this season, got Cincinnati through six innings, allowing three runs and six hits while striking out five and getting his first major league win.
Pirates starter Bailey Falter (3-6) retired Cincinnati in order in the first three innings, but ran into trouble in the fourth, eventually giving up four earned runs and five hits.
“I think the first time through (the lineup), he did a good job executing the fastball at the top of the zone and the inner part of the plate,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “It looked like in the fourth inning, the ball leaked back toward the middle. Because of that we saw the hard contact.”
Bryan Reynolds had a two-out single in the third inning to drive in the first run for the Pirates and extend his hitting streak games to 21, the longest active streak in the majors.
Oneil Cruz had a two-run homer for Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth, but Justin Wilson struck out Nick Gonzales to seal it.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: RHP Dennis Santana had to leave the game after he was hit in the right arm by a line drive.
Reds: CF T.J. Friedl went on the 10-day injured list because of strained right hamstring suffered when he made a diving catch last week in Pittsburgh. He’s expected to miss at least a few weeks.
UP NEXT
The Pirates were to send right-hander Mitch Keller (8-4, 3.11 ERA) to the mound to face Reds right-hander Hunter Greene (5-2, 4.35) as the series continued on Tuesday night.
Friedl back on injured list
CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati Reds centerfielder T.J. Friedl is back on the injured list.
The Reds put the 28-year-old Friedl on the 10-day injured list on Monday because of a right hamstring strain.
He could be out a few weeks.
Friedl was sidelined for the first six weeks of the season after breaking his right wrist in spring training.
He came back and played six games before he was hit by a pitch that broke his left thumb.
He returned to the lineup on May 29 but then strained his hamstring making a diving catch last week in Pittsburgh.
Friedl said he was at 80-percent to 85-percent running comfortably in last weekend’s series against the Red Sox, but realized the injury wasn’t getting any better.
“We just felt it was best I get imaging done, and just give it time to heal properly,” he said. “I wasn’t really 100-percent myself, and that’s something I realized over the last couple days is I can’t play at 85-percent. Me, who I am, I need to be 100-percent.”
Friedl said he’ll likely be out until after the All-Star break in mid-July and then reassess the injury.
Friedl was hitting .227 in June and .208 for the season, with four homers and 16 RBIs.
“It’s just frustrating, that’s all,” he said.
The Reds promoted INF/OF Levi Jordan from Triple-A Louisville to take Friedl’s spot on the roster.
The right-handed hitting Jordan was set to make his major league debut on Monday night, playing right field and batting eighth against Pirates lefty Bailey Falter.
Jordan, 28, was hitting .302 with five homers and 24 runs batted-in at Louisville this season.
Lodolo goes on 15-day IL
CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds placed left-handed starting pitcher Nick Lodolo on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday with a blister on a finger of his pitching hand.
The move is retroactive to Monday.
Lodolo pitched with the blister against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.
He tied a season-high with four runs allowed, three earned.
Lodolo had three strikeouts and a season-high four walks in 4 2/3 innings of Boston’s 7-4 victory.
“It really affected him mostly on the curveball,” Reds manager David Bell said following Sunday’s game. “He was still able to throw some good ones. Without his best pitches, that was a pretty good effort right there. Today was a little bit more challenging for him.”
Lodolo is 8-3 with a 2.96 ERA with 73 strikeouts in 70 innings in his 12 starts.
In a corresponding move, the Reds recalled right-hander Yosver Zulueta from Triple-A Louisville.
This is Lodolo’s third stint on the IL this season.
He began the year on the IL with a left calf issue before making his season debut on April 13.
He was placed on the IL again on May 15 with a left groin strain.
Lodolo made seven starts for Cincinnati in 2023 before he was sidelined by a stress reaction in his left tibia.
