NEW YORK (AP) — Elly De La Cruz looked like a seasoned player in his Yankee Stadium debut — for good reason.
He sped around the bases with a triple before scoring the go-ahead run, then hit a 114.1 mph, two-run homer into the visitors’ bullpen in left-center that propelled the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-4 win over New York on Tuesday night.
Before the game, he chowed down on rice and beans with avocado brought to the ballpark by a friend’s wife, the type of traditional meal he doesn’t get back in Cincinnati.
“The Dominican seasoning is different and here they make it like in the Dominican,” the emerging 22-year-old star from Sabana Grande de Boya said.
Fans ooohed when De La Cruz sprinted like The Freeze on his drive into the right-field corner in the fourth inning and slid headfirst into third base ahead of the throw from fellow Dominican Juan Soto.
“Hype and the energy definitely grows as he does cool stuff on the field,” said Will Benson, who also hit a two-run homer in a four-run fifth.
Cincinnati built a 5-0 lead to back Graham Ashcraft and held on as the Yankees lost for the 11th time in 15 games. Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 32nd home run and had three hits.
De La Cruz, appearing in his 183rd big league game, has tripled and homered together five times, matching Ted Williams for the most since 1901 in a player’s first 185 games.
“Some players are just comfortable in the big spot,” Reds manager David Bell said. “And he’s just at the beginning. There’s going to be a lot bigger spots and bigger stages.”
Yankees rookie Luis Gil retired nine in a row before De La Cruz led off the fourth with his sixth triple of the season. He easily beat Soto’s throw.
“He can’t catch me,” De La Cruz said with a smile.
Jeimer Candelario grounded out on the next pitch, sending De La Cruz trotting home with the first run.
Stuart Fairchild was nicked on the right forearm by an 0-2 changeup leading off the fifth and Benson hit his ninth homer and first since May 28, driving a fastball into the netting above Monument Park beyond center field.
Jonathan India was hit near the left elbow by another changeup, and left-hander Caleb Ferguson relieved on his 28th birthday. De La Cruz, turned around and hitting right-handed, sent a 2-0 fastball into the bullpen for his 15th homer.
“Some of the stuff he does you don’t see on an everyday basis,” Benson said. “Casually run and get a triple with like no effort and then hit a 114 (mph) homer. Awesome.”
De La Cruz grew up a Yankees fan, and Derek Jeter was his favorite player. The first big league game he attended as a spectator was in the Bronx, he thinks in 2016.
De La Cruz made his big league debut on June 6 last year and hit .235 with 13 homers, 44 RBIs and 35 stolen bases in 98 games. He is batting .254 this season with 15 homers, 39 RBIs and a big league-best 40 steals.
His average from the right side of the plate is .275, up from .184 last year. His average hitting lefty is .256, a tick up from his .255 last year.
“The confidence grows and he continues to become a better player every day,” Bell said.
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