By Miguel Mike Medina
Cincinnati Reds star shortstop Elly De La Cruz came through clutch for the Reds in the seventh inning, as the Reds won 6-2 over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.
De La Cruz went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs. It was a scoreless game through the first five innings. Yandy Diaz opened up the scoreboard when he hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning.
The Reds would respond in the same inning after Austin Hays reached on Taylor Walls’ fielding error, which allowed second baseman Matt McClain and TJ Friedl to score.
McClain had a good night, going 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI. He added the insurance run for the Reds in the eighth inning.
Andrew Abbott started for the Ress, and he was masterful. He struck out our seven Rays hits through six innings, allowing just two hits and one earned run. He had no decision at the start.
Bryan Baker got the loss for the Rays. Graham Ashcraft earned the victory for the Reds after pitching just one inning. It’s his sixth win of the season.
Shane Baz (8-6, 4.66 ERA) will take the mound for the Rays against Brady Singer (7-8, 4.84 ERA) for a Sunday afternoon showdown at 1:40.
The Rays are trying to snap a six-game road losing streak and have lost seven of their last ten games. The Reds have a 30-22 record at home and a 55-50 record overall.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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