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The Reds Did All This Without Elly De La Cruz. 🔴

Eugenio Suárez hit two home runs before most fans found their seats. Chase Burns threw five shutout innings. The Reds hung 12 on the Mets — without their best player.

By BaseChaser · June 15, 2026 · 4 min read

The Cincinnati Reds walked into Great American Ball Park on June 15 without Elly De La Cruz — their best player, their catalyst, their star — still on the injured list.

Nobody told the rest of the team they needed him to win.

Eugenio Suárez hit two home runs before the third inning even started. A two-run shot in the 1st. A grand slam in the 2nd. Six RBIs before most fans had found their seats. The Reds scored nine runs in the first two innings alone.

JJ Bleday added a three-run homer in the 8th. The final line: 12-0. The Reds' biggest blowout of the season.

Chase Burns Made It Count

The Reds gave their pitcher a 9-0 lead before he even took the mound for the 2nd inning. But Burns still went out and did his job: 5 innings, 0 runs, 7 strikeouts, 100 pitches. He earned the win. The Reds improved to 34-37.

The Mets fell to 32-40. They've now lost 7 of their last 10 games.

2 HR — 6 RBI
Eugenio Suárez hit two home runs in the first two innings: a 2-run shot in the 1st and a grand slam in the 2nd. Career-high 6 RBIs on the night.
5 IP, 0 R, 7 K
Chase Burns threw 100 pitches across five shutout innings. The Reds' offense gave him a 9-run lead before the 3rd — but he still had to earn the win.
12-0
The Reds' biggest blowout of the season. Nine runs in the first two innings. JJ Bleday added a 3-run shot in the 8th. The Mets left 28 runners on base.
On the IL
Elly De La Cruz did not play. The Reds' best player remained on the injured list. His team still hung a 12-spot on a Mets squad that entered at 32-39.

The Numbers

Reds playoff odds sit at 8.4%. The Mets are at 4.1%. Neither team was supposed to be in this conversation.

But on a night when Elly De La Cruz watched from the dugout, Eugenio Suárez reminded everyone that baseball has a way of finding new heroes.

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