MIAMI — Elly De La Cruz became the youngest Cincinnati player with four extra-base hits in a game since at least 1901, and the Reds overcame Jesús Sánchez’s 480-foot home run, the longest in the major league this season in a 10-3 win over the Miami Marlins on Monday night.
Nick Martinez (6-5) pitched five scoreless innings to win on his 34th birthday in his first start since May 22.
De La Cruz entered in an 0-for-13 slide and put Cincinnati ahead with a two-run homer off Roddery Muñoz (2-6) in the first inning. He doubled in the fourth and sixth innings and hit a solo homer in the eighth against Shaun Anderson, his 20th home run this season. De La Cruz has three multihomer games, including two this season.
“Very appreciative of everything because the hard work is paying off,” De La Cruz said in Spanish. “Also appreciate my teammates and the support they give me."
It was the 20th four-extra-base hit game by a Reds player since 1901 and at 22 years, 207 days De La Cruz became the youngest Cincinnati player to accomplish the feat since then.
“There’s a lot more to come. It’s fun to watch him every day,” Reds manager David Bell said. “But it does start with his approach and how he is working and trying to get better.”
De La Cruz has a major league-leading 57 steals and joined Hall of Famer Joe Morgan and Eric Davis as the only Reds with 20 homers and 50 stolen bases in a season. De La Cruz has four homers against Miami this year.
Sánchez drove a changeup from Jakob Junis into the right-centre field upper deck in the sixth. The drive outdistanced a 478-foot homer by San Francisco’s Jorge Soler at San Francisco on July 21.
“Sanchez has some of the best raw power in the game,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “He has the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark, line to line.”
Ty France had three hits, including his first homer since he was acquired from Seattle on July 30, and Noelvi Marté also went deep for the Reds.
Martinez, who had been pitching out of the bullpen, allowed four hits, struck out five and walked none in a 70-pitch outing.
“With my role being so versatile, there are unique ways to find opportunities,” Martinez said. “There are unique situations where I can help the team win late in the ball game and maintain my workload to be able to slide in like this and start.”
Martinez said he had previously pitched on his birthday during his four seasons in Japan.
“I also went five scoreless,” Martinez said.
Xavier Edwards singled twice for the Marlins, extending his on-base games streak to 22.
Muñoz gave up six runs — four earned — seven hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: INF Matt McClain (rib cage stress reaction) has not been scheduled for rehab games, manager David Bell said.
Marlins: C Nick Fortes left after singling in the seventh inning and limping when he reached first base.
UP NEXT
LHP Nick Lodolo (8-4, 3.99) will start the second game of the series for the Reds on Tuesday while the Marlins will go with RHP Max Meyer (2-1, 3.81).
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.