Elly De La Cruz ended a drought during Friday's matchup between the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs.
Cincinnati began its second of a four-game set against Chicago this week. They took home the first game by a slim score of 1-0, getting the lone run from Will Benson with an RBI double.
As for Cruz, he entered the contest with a home run drought. It has been ongoing since July 31 against the Atlanta Braves, having lasted for over six weeks.
Cruz wanted to make his mark in this matchup, which he pulled off in the bottom of the sixth inning. He blasted the solo shot to left field, having the ball soar up to 366 feet in the air.
Elly De La Cruz blasts his first homer since July 31st! pic.twitter.com/a8zWxoXD96
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 20, 2025
How Elly De La Cruz, Reds played against Cubs
It was a great moment for Elly De La Cruz to have, ending his home run drought at home. Not only that, but he also helped the Reds take down the Cubs 7-4 in Game 2.
Cincinnati trailed in the first innings of the game, being down 4-3 after four frames. Despite this, they responded with four unanswered runs as they took all the momentum and never looked back.
The Reds' bullpen had difficulty in the first half of the contest but made the right plays in the second half by silencing the Cubs' offense in the last five innings. They conceded 11 hits after 35 at-bats, including two homers in the second and fourth frames. Nick Lodolo started on the mound as he lasted 4.2 innings, striking out seven batters while conceding nine hits and four runs. Meanwhile, Connor Phillips earned the win for his fourth of the season.
Cincinnati improved to a 78-76 record on the season, holding the third spot of the NL Central Division standings. They are 10 games behind the Chicago Cubs and 16 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Reds will prepare for Game 3 of their series against the Cubs. The contest will take place on Sept. 20 at 6:40 p.m. ET.
