News about Stuart Fairchild

The slow start to Elly De La Cruz's 2024 season ended abruptly on Monday as the Cincinnati Reds infielder registered a pair of very different home runs: A dazzling inside-the-park effort and a 450-foot bomb that briefly looked destined for the banks of the Ohio River. The homers are the first two of the current campaign for De La Cruz, who has been criticized in 2024 for everything from his defense to his poor pitch selection. The 22-year-old native Dominican lifted his average to a healthy .297 with three hits in Monday's dramatic 10-8 win over the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers. He also stole his sixth base of the season - better than all but Brewers second baseman Brice Turang's seven. But nothing on Monday could quite compare to De La Cruz's electric inside-the-park home run.

Aaron Nola's strikeout total was up - the Phillies' ace would reach his career high with 12 - and his pitch count was also up. With two outs in the seventh inning and a chance at baseball history still on the line, manager Rob Thomson wasn't sure how much longer he'll let the right-hander go. 'I wouldn't have guessed his health just for that,' Thomson said. Stuart Fairchild and Tyler Stephenson scored solo home runs, while Andrew Abbott threw six scoreless innings in his major league debut to lead Cincinnati.