Elly De La Cruz triples, homers and lifts Reds over struggling Yankees 5-4

Updated Jul. 2, 2024 11:06 p.m. ET

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Elly De La Cruz tripled and homered in his first game at Yankee Stadium, helping the Cincinnati Reds overcome Aaron Judge's major league-leading 32nd home run in a 5-4 victory over New York on Tuesday night.

Will Benson and De La Cruz hit two-run homers in a four-run fifth as the Reds built a 5-0 lead over the Yankees, who have lost 11 of their last 15 games.

“I feel so proud,” De La Cruz said. “The Dominican people, they’re watching me here in the Yankee Stadium.”

Judge homered in the seventh off Sam Moll for his third hit. He leads the major leagues in batting average (.321), homers and RBIs (83).

“I'm going to get into the thesaurus because I've used all the other adjectives up that I can hold,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

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.”

Graham Ashcraft (5-4) had a shutout before the Yankees' three-run sixth and won his third straight start. Alexis Díaz pitched a perfect ninth for his 18th save in 20 chances.

Rookie Luis Gil (9-4) lost his third straight start, allowing four runs and two hits in four-plus innings with three walks and two hit batters.

“Not able to execute and mix my pitches there in the fourth or fifth,” Gil said through a translator.

After going 9-1 with 2.03 ERA in his first 14 outings, Gil is 0-3 with a 14.90 ERA in his last three.

“I don't think this is a fatigue issue. I think it's just a little out-of-sorts issue and having a harder time correcting on the fly,” Boone said.

Gil retired nine in a row before De La Cruz led off the fourth with a drive into the right-field corner for his sixth triple of the season. De La Cruz scored when Jeimer Candelario grounded out on the next pitch.

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.

“These are just some growing pains for him,” Yankees catcher Jose Trevino said.

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 visitors’ bullpen in left-center for his 15th homer.

Gleyber Torres chased Ashcraft with an RBI single in the sixth and rookie Ben Rice greeted Nick Martinez with a two-run double.

Candelario stopped an 0-for-18 slide with a seventh-inning single.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Reds: C Tyler Stephenson was activated from the Family Medical Emergency List and C Austin Wynns was designated for assignment. Stephenson posted on Instagram that daughter Savannah Frankie Stephenson was born Friday.

Yankees: DH Giancarlo Stanton (strained left hamstring) is running, throwing and hitting and remains on track to return in late July. ... RHPs Scott Effross and JT Brubaker could be ready to join the big league team after the All-Star break in their comebacks from Tommy John surgery. Effross has made four minor league outings since June 14 and is to pitch Wednesday for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and Brubaker has made three starts since June 14. ... RHP Clarke Schmidt (right lat strain) has started his throwing program.

UP NEXT

Yankees LHP Carlos Rodón (9-5) and Reds LHP Andrew Abbott (7-6) start Wednesday. Rodón is 0-3 with a 13.17 ERA following a seven-starting winning streak. Abbott is 4-1 with a 3.71 ERA in his last five starts.

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