INSTANT REACTION: Reds Mash Their Way Past Yankees for 6-1 Series Opening Win

 The stars were out Monday night at Great American Ball Park. Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz was the star that shined the brightest, finishing a double shy of the cycle in the Reds' 6-1 win over the New York Yankees.

After Yankees superstar slugger Aaron Judge mashed a home run in the top of the first, the Reds pitching kept New York off the scoreboard the rest of the way.

This is the Reds fourth straight win overall against the Yankees, and it moves them to 41-38 overall this season.

Here are our takeaways from Monday night’s 6-1 Reds win over the Yankees:

Elly De La Cruz and Gavin Lux Have Big Hits

In a series pitting two of the game's biggest stars, the Reds shortstop outshined the Yankees slugger Monday night. It started in the bottom of the fourth inning, when De La Cruz tripled to deep center field to drive in the Reds first run.

That's now two triples in the last three games for De La Cruz, who scored on Spencer Steer's sacrafice fly in the Reds next at-bat.

De La Cruz wasn't done there, for his RBI single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth extended the Reds lead to 4-1.

In the eighth, De La Cruz punctuated his night with a solo home run.

On the two-year anniversary of hitting for the cycle, the Reds star shortstop went 3-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. In a series where he and the Reds are facing Aaron Judge and the Yankees, De La Cruz showed he's just as star-worthy as the Yankees slugger in the series opener.

Reds left fielder Gavin Lux also got in on the action with a solo home-run in the bottom of the fourth to extend the Reds lead to 3-1. He went 1-3 on Monday night.

Bullpen Gets 14 High-Leverage Outs

After Nick Lodolo was taken out having pitched just 4 1/3 innings, the Reds bullpen stepped up and got the final 14 outs of the game without a run allowed.

In addition, a quartet of Reds relievers allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out seven.

Scott Barlow, who pitched 1 2/3 huge innings including escaping a fifth-inning jam with the Reds clinging to a 3-1 lead, Nick Martinez, Tony Santillan and Emilio Pagan delivered a huge effort against a powerful Yankees lineup.

Nick Lodolo Battles After Slow Start

It didn't look pretty when Judge mashed a long home run off the Reds left-hander in the first. Then in the second, the Yankees put runners on the corners with one out.

That's where the game could have gotten out of hand for Lodolo and the Reds. It didn't, thanks to two strikeouts from the Reds left-hander.

Considering how the game started, Lodolo allowing just the home run to Judge and five other hits over 4 1/3 innings isn't bad. He struck out six and didn't issue any walks. He threw 65 strikes on 94 pitches.

Notes And Observations

• The Reds went 2-6 with runners in scoring position with five runners on base.
• The Yankees went 0-12 with runners in scoring position with nine runners left on base.
• Yankees starter, Austin Winans, went 4 1/3 innings with four earned runs in his season debut.

On Deck

The series continues Tuesday night with the Reds No. 1 prospect Chase Burns making his Major League debut.

He'll be opposed by Yankees left-hadner Carlos Rodon (9-5, 3.10 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 E.T. on FanDuel Sports Network Cinncinnati and 700WLW.