Reds’ Elly De La Cruz posts career-high 7 RBIs in first game with torpedo bat

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Elly De La Cruz had a single, double and two home runs for a career-high seven RBIs, Brady Singer pitched seven scoreless innings in his Cincinnati debut, and the Reds routed the Texas Rangers 14-3 on Monday night.

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Singer, who was acquired in November from the Kansas City Royals, became the first Reds pitcher with seven-plus scoreless innings in a debut since Tom Seaver on June 18, 1977, against Montreal. The 28-year-old right-hander struck out eight, walked two and allowed one hit.

De La Cruz hit a three-run home run to center for a 6-0 lead in the second inning. It was his first homer of the season. He added a two-run shot in the seventh.

De La Cruz used a torpedo bat for the first time on Monday and said that it felt “really good.” When asked if he planned on using it again, the 23-year-old just laughed.

The Reds (2-2) batted around in the sixth to double their lead to 12-0. The 14 runs were Cincinnati’s most since a 19-2 victory over St. Louis on Sept. 29, 2023.

Rookie Kumar Rocke allowed six earned runs in three innings for Texas (3-2). Jake Burger hit his first home run for the Rangers in the ninth.

Cincinnati first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand was hit by a pitch on the wrist in the sixth. He stayed in the dugout for the seventh.

Key moment

Matt McLain, who missed the 2024 season with a shoulder injury, hit his third home run of the season to give Cincinnati a 2-0 lead in the first. Gavin Lux added an RBI double for the Reds’ fourth straight hit to start the game and a 3-0 lead.

Key stat

Cincinnati entered as one of two teams without a steal attempt this season before De La Cruz’s broke the streak in the first inning.

Up next

The series resumes Tuesday when the Reds send right-hander Carson Spiers against RHP Nathan Eovaldi (0-0, 3.00 ERA), who is coming off his second opening-day start in a row for Texas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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