Elly De La Cruz leads Reds past Angels to end losing streak
The Reds pick up a victory in their new City Connect uniforms.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - APRIL 11: Sal Stewart #27, Eugenio Suárez #28 and Elly De La Cruz #44 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrate after scoring during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Great American Ball Park on April 11, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Cincinnati Reds dropped the final two games of their most recent road trip as the Miami Marlins put it to them pretty heavily. Then, on Friday, the Los Angeles Angels came into Great American Ball Park and knocked around Chase Burns en route to a 10-2 win over the good guys.
The Reds offense was sputtering. Their pitching, already held together by a series of unproven arms as Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo sit on the injured list, was wilting. If ever there were a time for a team’s star to put the club on his back and show them how it’s done, it was Saturday, and fortunately for Cincinnati they’ve got Elly De La Cruz on whom to lean.
Elly went 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles and a walk, swiped a pair of bases, and scored to power the Reds offense, who pounced on Angels starter George Klassen for a 4-spot in the Bottom of the 1st en route to an eventual 7-3 victory. Elly gets Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game treatment in this one, but it was actually Nathaniel Lowe who broke the game open initially. His bases-loaded double cleared the bags in that big 1st inning, as he rewarded manager Terry Francona for giving him a rare start in this one.
Other Notes Brandon Williamson got the start in this one and had a hard time finding the plate. He walked 6 batters and needed 93 pitches to get through just 4. 0 IP, though he did limit the damage to just 3 ER while on the mound.