Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz played with a heavy heart on Sunday. That’s what he wanted to do after learning of the death of his sister, Genelis.
De La Cruz hit a two-run homer and scored two runs in Cincinnati’s 7-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Manager Terry Francona said the 23-year-old shortstop insisted he wanted to play in the finale of the weekend series, and the team was going to support him.
“He takes so much pride in being available,” Francona said. “Guys like that, Carlos Santana in Cleveland was very similar, and for a kid that’s that young, that’s an admirable trait.”
Z101 Digital in the Dominican Republic reported that Genelis died Saturday after dealing with health problems for some time.
De La Cruz declined to speak with the media. The Reds also declined to offer any details on the situation, citing De La Cruz’s wishes.
“We care so much about playing a game and winning, but in a hurry you’re reminded of what’s really important,” Francona said. “So I think everybody kind of kept their head on a swivel with him today, just trying to take care of him.”
De La Cruz singled in the first and flied out in the fourth. He connected for his 12th homer in the sixth and walked and scored on Tyler Stephenson’s sacrifice fly in the ninth.
De La Cruz’s 50th career homer was a towering drive down the line in right. The estimated distance was 423 feet with an exit velocity of 117.4 mph.
As he took his final steps toward the plate, De La Cruz patted his chest, pointed to the sky and clapped. After touching home, he made a heart with his hands.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.