The Cincinnati Reds defense, led by shortstop Elly De La Cruz, saved a run against the best team in the American League, the Detroit Tigers, during Saturday's game.
In the bottom of the third inning with Tigers third baseman Javier Baez on first, Detroit shortstop Trey Sweeney doubled into one of the deepest parts of Comerica Park, prompting Tigers third base coach Joey Cora to wave Baez around third. Reds right fielder Jake Fraley fielded the ball on one hop off the wall and fired an excellent throw to De La Cruz, the cutoff man, as Baez rounded third base.
De La Cruz then uncorked a 98.3 MPH relay throw that beat Baez to the plate by what seemed like a country mile. The ball was waiting for Baez, who was tagged out by Reds catcher Jose Trevino.
98.3 MPH !!!! Seriously, get this man to the All-Star game.@ellylacocoa18 ⭐️ https://t.co/HKf2mrrBht pic.twitter.com/tasyfnF6Vy
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 14, 2025
One can quibble over whether Cora should have sent Baez or not, but the fact that it took a near-perfect throw to the cutoff man followed by a superhuman relay throw tells you that it at least wasn't the worst idea. De La Cruz is no stranger to making ridiculous throws. Back in April of 2024, the Reds star unleashed a 106.9 MPH throw on a play that resulted in an error. Sometimes, his throws are literally too hot to handle.
In addition to his stellar play in the field, De La Cruz also added a home run and a pair of runs scored to his tally on Saturday.
More MLB on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Elly De La Cruz's Cannon Relay Throw Beat Javier Baez to the Plate by a Mile .
