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Cincinnati Reds' De La Cruz Breaks Historic Record That Stood For More Than 120 Years

The Cincinnati Reds routed the Houston Astros on Wednesday as shortstop Elly De La Cruz broke a longstanding record in team history.

Brady Farkas

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) scores on a RBI single hit by catcher Tyler Stephenson (not pictured) in the third inning against the Houston Astros at Great American Ball Park on Sept 4.
Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) scores on a RBI single hit by catcher Tyler Stephenson (not pictured) in the third inning against the Houston Astros at Great American Ball Park on Sept 4. / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
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The Cincinnati Reds routed the Houston Astros, 12-5, on Wednesday night in Cincinnati. The win moved them to 67-73 on the season, one of the more disappointing seasons in all of baseball.

After the loss, the Astros are now 75-64. They continue to lead the American League West, now by 5.5 games over the second-place Seattle Mariners.

The Reds offense shined in this one, connecting for nine runs in the bottom of the first inning. Cincinnati had 14 hits, with four players getting multiple knocks.

Elly De La Cruz continued to shine for David Bell's club, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored, two RBI and two stolen bases. He now has 62 steals on the season, breaking a longstanding record in team history.

Per @StatsCentre on social media:

(Related) Most stolen bases - @Reds player's first 2 career seasons:
97- De La Cruz (2023-24)
96- Bug Holliday (1889-90)
74- George Tebeau (1887-88)
69- Billy Hamilton (2013-14)
66- Ollie Beard (1889-90)
64- Bob Bescher (1909-10)
60- Chris Sabo (1988-89)
51- Fred Odwell (1904-05)

De La Cruz is one of the more impactful players in baseball because of his robust skillset. In addition to his 62 steals, he's hitting .265 with 22 homers and 63 RBI. He made the All-Star team this season at the age of 22 and figures to be a key cog in the Reds offense for years to come.

The Reds will play the Astros again on Thursday afternoon at 1:10 p.m. ET. Right-hander Hunter Brown will pitch for Houston. He'll be opposed by top Reds prospect Rhett Lowder.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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