De La Cruz's Nine-Inning Assault Carries Reds Past Pirates in Walk-Off Drama

The Reds scratched out a 3-2 win over the Pirates on Thursday evening when Nathaniel Lowe beat out a potential inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, allowing Elly De La Cruz to score the decisive run. De La Cruz orchestrated the attack from the leadoff spot, recording three doubles and four hits total—the third double a scorched 115.7 mph drive to left field leading off the ninth that ignited the walk-off sequence. Closer Emilio Pagán worked around a two-out single in Pittsburgh's half of the inning to secure the victory.

De La Cruz's offensive profile in this game is the story. Three doubles from a shortstop in a single game is production that doesn't arrive often; his xBA against the Pirates' pitching staff was elevated, and his ability to find the gap—particularly off breaking balls in counts where Pittsburgh had to pitch to him—opened the door for the late-game heroics. The critical hit came in the third inning, an RBI double to left-center off Pirates starter that scored Matt McLain and set a 2-0 Reds lead. De La Cruz later scored on Sal Stewart's RBI single, which turned out to be Cincinnati's only hit with runners in scoring position across 15 opportunities on the night. That efficiency mattered: the Reds won despite managing just one RISP hit, because De La Cruz's doubles and baserunning leverage created the final scoring chance.

Rhett Lowder, Cincinnati's starter, operated cleanly through six innings on five strikeouts and zero walks, surrendering two runs on five hits. The Pirates' offense generated just enough to tie it in the sixth when Brandon Lowe launched a first-pitch curveball for a solo homer—a reminder that one mistake inning against a team fighting for position can erase early control. Pittsburgh's run in the fifth came via Jacob Gonzalez's sacrifice fly, a disciplined approach that nonetheless fell short.

The prop implication tracks to De La Cruz's consistency as a gap hitter and his value in run-scoring situations. De La Cruz has now displayed a pattern of double production in high-leverage spots; his doubles-per-game rate this season is elevated relative to his career baseline, suggesting either a mechanical adjustment favoring line-drive contact or favorable pitch sequencing from opposing starters. In games where he reaches the leadoff spot, his doubles rate climbs further—he sees earlier-count fastballs and can be more aggressive. Against a Pirates pitching staff that doesn't feature elite velocity in the fastball-heavy zones where De La Cruz thrives, the under on his strikeout total and the over on his total bases prop carry value in future matchups. Stewart's 80th RBI of the season is also noteworthy for Cincinnati's depth signal; the Reds are generating production from the bottom of the order, which typically suggests a compressed talent gap and makes their team totals less volatile than surface win-loss records imply.

The walk-off itself hinged on Lowe's ability to make contact on a slow-rolling grounder and beat a relay throw—not repeatable in a betting context, but the underlying skill (contact rate, speed on the infield) is durable. For Cincinnati, this win reinforces that their offense can execute in small-ball situations when it matters most, which may be underpriced in their run-line pricing against comparable Pirates lineups later in the series.