Reds make it 12 straight in wild one
Dazzling rookie Elly De La Cruz hit for the cycle, Joey Votto launched tying and go-ahead homers, and the Reds extended their winning streak to 12 games Friday night with an 1110 victory over the visiting Braves.
In a wild matchup of National League division leaders, the Reds erased an early 5-0 deficit and halted Atlanta’s eight-game winning streak.
De La Cruz became the first Cincinnati player in 34 years to hit for the cycle. He completed it by the sixth inning with a triple that gave him four RBIs. The cycle was the seventh in team history, fifth since 1900 and first since Eric Davis on June 2, 1989.
The Reds’ winning streak is tied for the second best in franchise history, matching the 1939 and 1957 teams for the club’s longest since 1900.
Rays bounce back
Jose Siri homered and drove in four runs, Zach Eflin won his ninth game, and the MLB-leading Rays beat the Royals, 11-3, in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Siri had a three-run homer in the second inning and gave the Rays a 4-3 led with an RBI single in the fourth. Eflin (9-3) improved to 8-0 in eight home starts, allowing three runs and seven hits over six innings.
Nick Pratto and Salvador Perez homered for the Royals, who have the majors’ second-worst record (21-55). Perez was checked by a trainer in the fifth inning and was replaced at catcher an inning later because of a right hamstring cramp.
Before the game, Rays manager Kevin Cash said he believes Shane McClanahan can avoid going on the injured list to deal with back tightness that knocked the 11game winner out of Thursday’s start.
Yankees fall in extras
Adolis García drove a hanging curve on Michael King’s first pitch of the 10th inning for a two-run homer, and Texas beat the slumping Yankees, 4-2, in New York for their fifth win in six games.
The Yankees are last in the major leagues in batting average and runs in June, losing 10 of 16 since Aaron Judge hurt a toe. The team’s other big slugger, Giancarlo Stanton, is hitting .096 since returning from a strained hamstring, going 5 for 52 with a pair of solo homers for his only RBIs.
Manfred rips ‘inaction’
Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said one big turnout by Athletics fans doesn’t change “a decade worth of inaction” as he defended earlier comments about the “reverse boycott” held in protest of the team’s proposed move to Las Vegas.
Speaking in London ahead of a weekend series between the Cardinals and Cubs, Manfred claimed he was taken out of context when he sarcastically praised the 27,759 A’s fans for amounting to “almost an average Major League Baseball crowd” at a 2-1 win over Tampa Bay on June 13 at the Coliseum.
“I feel sorry for the fans. We hate to move. We did everything we could possibly to do keep the club in Oakland,” Manfred said. “Unfortunately, one night doesn’t change a decade worth of inaction.”
The commissioner also confirmed the Mets and Phillies will play a two-game series in London next June 8-9. The teams also played Friday, with Taijuan Walker pitching six strong innings in a 5-1 Philadelphia win that dealt New York its 14th loss in 18 games.
Also Friday, Shea Langeliers hit a tiebreaking home run in the ninth inning off closer Jordan Romano (3-3) and the Athletics beat the host Blue Jays, 5-4, to snap an eight-game losing streak.
Ten-game skid stopped
Carlos Santana broke a ninthinning tie with an RBI single and the Pirates snapped a 10-game losing streak, rallying to beat the Marlins, 3-1, in Miami.
Down, 1-0, after eight innings, Pittsburgh scored three runs against relievers A.J. Puk (3-2) and Dylan Floro.
The Pirates called up Nick Gonzales, the seventh overall pick in the 2020 draft, to make his debut. Gonzales started at second base and was hitless in three at-bats.
Miami’s Luis Arraez had three hits to raise his major league-leading batting average to .402.
Yastrzemski injured
San Francisco outfielder Mike Yastrzemski was placed on the 10day injured list with a strained left hamstring strain. Yastrzemski left Wednesday’s game against San Diego with left hamstring tightness but had been expected to return within a couple of days after an MRI showed minor inflammation . . . This year’s Home Run Derby now has a hometown favorite. Seattle’s Julio Rodríguez, who finished second last year in the event to Juan Soto, said it’s a no-brainer to participate in front of his home fans. The All-Star game is July 11 in Seattle, with the Home Run Derby the previous day. Rodríguez is the first player to formally commit to compete.