Explosive Finish at Goodyear Ballpark
On Sunday afternoon at Goodyear Ballpark, Cincinnati Reds outplayed Cleveland Guardians in a dominant 13-2 spring training finale. The game showcased an impressive display of hitting, with the Reds building an early lead and maintaining momentum throughout the contest.
Elly De La Cruz Shines at the Plate
Elly De La Cruz delivered a standout performance, reaching base in all three of his plate appearances. His opening at-bat produced a double that scored TJ Friedl for a 1-0 lead. In his next opportunity, a single drove in Jose Trevino to widen the gap to two. He then secured a walk in his final plate appearance. De La Cruz finished the spring season with a remarkable .409 average, a .519 on-base percentage, and a .773 slugging percentage. His overall spring performance featured four home runs, 12 RBIs, and a 1.292 OPS from 44 at-bats, alongside 10 walks and 12 strikeouts.
Key Contributions from the Pitching Staff
The pitching staff also had a night to shine, with left-hander Nick Lodolo delivering the longest start of his season. Lodolo pitched six strong innings, yielding only one run on three hits, while maintaining control by issuing no walks and striking out seven. He finished the spring training with a 2.45 ERA, setting a positive tone heading into the regular season.
Reds Build Momentum Early
Cincinnati got off to a fast start, with De La Cruz driving in an early run on a double and later scoring on a wild pitch. The offense erupted in the third inning when the Reds scored seven runs. De La Cruz opened the scoring with a single that brought in Jose Trevino, followed by Austin Hays’ double which drove in both De La Cruz and Friedl. Gavin Lux added to the momentum with a home run later in the inning, and Jake Fraley extended the rally with a two-run double that brought Jeimer Candelario and Christian Encarnacion-Strand to the plate. Encarnacion-Strand capped the offensive onslaught in the sixth inning with a two-run triple as the team amassed 13 runs on just 11 hits.
Team Performance and Looking Ahead
The game highlighted several key contributors overall. Elly De La Cruz continued his strong spring training form by reaching base in every appearance, while Austin Hays and Gavin Lux remained reliable in producing consistent results. Complementing the offensive efforts, Ian Gibaut and Sam Moll delivered scoreless innings, bolstering the team’s performance. Moving forward, the Reds plan to face the Dayton Dragons in Dayton, Ohio, at Day Air Ballpark on Tuesday at 6:10 ET.
