Elly De La Cruz Powers Reds With Historic Home Run, Record-Setting Throw in Loss to Dodgers
LOS ANGELES — Elly De La Cruz delivered a two-way showcase of elite power and arm strength Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, though his heroics weren’t enough to prevent the Cincinnati Reds from falling 3-2 to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
De La Cruz Launches Longest Home Run of 2026 Season at Dodger Stadium
In the top of the third inning, De La Cruz turned on a first-pitch, 87.5 mph changeup from Dodgers starter Tarik Skubal, sending a Statcast-projected 444-foot blast into left-center field. The two-run homer tied the game and marked the longest home run hit at Dodger Stadium during the 2026 season, surpassing a July 12 shot by Shohei Ohtani by seven feet.
The round-tripper matched De La Cruz’s single-season career high with his 25th home run and extended his home run streak to four consecutive games. As he rounded third base, the 24-year-old shortstop pointed toward the seats behind home plate, acknowledging his brother in the stands.
“I thought it was a good pitch to hit,” De La Cruz said of the blast. “We always want to come out with a win, but it feels good to do the job.”
Record-Breaking 102 mph Throw Guns Down Hernández at the Plate
De La Cruz wasn’t finished making an impact in the third inning. In the bottom half, Teoscar Hernández lined a ball to center field that skipped to the outfield gate. Third-base coach Dino Ebel waved Hernández home, but De La Cruz gathered the relay from left fielder JJ Bleday, turned, and uncorked a strike to catcher Jose Trevino that nailed Hernández at the plate.
The throw registered 102.0 mph per Statcast, establishing the fastest assist by an infielder since tracking began in 2015. It surpassed De La Cruz’s own previous record of 99.8 mph, which he had achieved twice.
“That was one of the better throws you’ll ever see, I mean, ever,” manager Terry Francona said. “I know I turn on the old things and you see Dave Parker or somebody making throws or Clemente; they might be showing that one 1789029340.”
“Every time he throws a ball, it’s an absolute rocket,” starting pitcher Nick Lodolo added. “It was a great throw, and it was a great pick by Trevi to stay with that and make the tag. A lot of credit to both guys there.”
De La Cruz himself downplayed the velocity.
“I thought it was like 98, 99 [mph],” De La Cruz said. “I didn’t know; it was not hard.”
Lodolo Battles Command Issues in Hometown Start
While De La Cruz generated the night’s highlight-reel moments, Lodolo worked through a challenging outing in front of his Southern California crowd. The left-hander lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits with six strikeouts across 97 pitches.
Lodolo surrendered a solo home run to Will Smith in the first inning. His command wavered in the second, when a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch forced home a run, though he escaped further damage. Francona noted improvement as the game progressed before a two-out single by Hernández in the fifth ended Lodolo’s night.
“I thought early he wasn’t commanding,” Francona said. “As he got into the third, fourth, fifth, I actually thought he was better, and I was kind of fighting it [leaving him in] because I know Hernández wasn’t a great matchup, but I really wanted him to get through that fifth. I thought it would have been really good for him, [but then] he reached out and poked a 3-1 changeup into right.”
Lodolo acknowledged the early struggles defined his outing.
“Too many free passes on my part,” Lodolo admitted. “That’s what led to the runs outside of the good hit by Smith in the first. Overall, got to limit the free passes. My stuff is great, just gotta limit that and make them work a little bit more.”
Reds Seek to Avoid Sweep in Series Finale
The loss snapped a strong stretch for Cincinnati, which had entered the week having won three consecutive series against the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, and Milwaukee Brewers. The Reds will attempt to avoid a sweep and salvage Wednesday night’s finale against the Dodgers.
