The Cincinnati Reds rookies worked their magic again Tuesday night.
Cincinnati trailed the Seattle Mariners 6-3 midway through the eighth inning, until outfielder Nick Martini blasted a three-run home run to right-center that knotted the score. Martini may not be a rookie himself – despite the fact that the 33-year-old has only appeared in 127 career MLB games – but he certainly set the table for a pair of young guns to deliver in the following frame.
Shortstop Elly De La Cruz led off the bottom of the ninth with an infield single, then immediately stole second for his 25th swipe of the season. Fellow rookie infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand was the next man up in the box, and he wound up chopping a grounder through the right side for another hit.
The average baserunner may not have been able to score on the play, but De La Cruz has made plenty of headlines with his blazing speed all summer long.
De La Cruz rounded third and slid in safely at home plate, making Encarnacion-Strand's single a walk-off. According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, De La Cruz's sprint speed was clocked at 31.0 feet per second.
The Reds have now notched 10 walk-offs victories this season and three in the last five days, with their last two coming over the weekend against the Chicago Cubs.
Cincinnati has a chance to sweep Seattle in Wednesday's finale, which has major implications in both leagues' Wild Card races.
The Mariners now trail the Houston Astros by 1.0 game in the AL West, although they still hold the second AL Wild Card spot with a 1.0-game cushion over the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays. The Reds, meanwhile, currently hold sole possession of the third and final NL Wild Card spot, 0.5 games above the Arizona Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins.
Cincinnati has been able to string together their 73-68 record thus far thanks to their long list of significant rookie contributors. Beyond De La Cruz and Encarnacion-Strand, infielder Matt McLain, utility man Spencer Steer, infielder Noelvi Marte, left-handed pitcher Andrew Abbott and left-handed pitcher Brandon Williamson have all posted breakout debut seasons of their own.
Wednesday's showdown between the Reds and Mariners is slated to get underway at 6:40 p.m. ET.
More must-reads: