Cincinnati Reds rookie star Elly De La Cruz had an eventful game on Wednesday as part of a 9-2 victory against the Washington Nationals (box score). Officially, De La Cruz went 3 for 6 with a home run, two doubles, and two runs scored. He also angered Nationals manager Davey Martinez.
The drama started in the second inning, when Martinez requested that the umpiring crew inspect De La Cruz's bat because of a Blast sensor located on the knob. "I know what the device is, but I've never seen nobody wear it during the game," Martinez told Andrew Golden of the Washington Post afterward. "So they checked it and when they came back and told me, 'Hey, it's legal.'"
The Blast sensor is an electronic device that is placed on the bat knob. It then captures vital metrics that teams and players use to analyze swing paths, bat speed, and so on. It's worth noting that De La Cruz, who finished his second inning at-bat without the Blast sensor on his bat but later put it back on for his fifth-inning at-bat, just uses the plastic cover without the electrical component because he likes the feel of it.
Here's a look at the five-minute delay the bat check caused:
Dave Martinez and the Nationals had umpires check @Reds rookie Elly De La Cruz's bat before his plate appearance in a confusing start to the second inning. pic.twitter.com/f4AZdZxpGi
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) July 5, 2023
Although De La Cruz struck out in that at-bat, come the fifth inning he would enact his version of revenge by launching a long home run. Before leaving the home-plate area, he motioned at the Blast sensor and to the Reds dugout. It's unclear if he intended those gestures to taunt the Nationals or to reaffirm that he likes having the Blast sensor on his bat knob.
Either way, Martinez took it as the former, and afterward expressed his distaste for De La Cruz's "antics."
Wanna see it again?@ellylacocoa18 pic.twitter.com/KUokmWJAlt
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 6, 2023
"I love the way he plays the game," Martinez told Golden. "I didn't like his antics after he hit the home run. We can do without that. He's only got two weeks in the big leagues. But he's gonna be a good player."
A young, exciting player being lectured on etiquette following a harmless home run gesture? That's Major League Baseball, baby.
De La Cruz, 21, is now hitting .318/.356/.536 with four home runs, 25 RBI, and 11 stolen bases (on 13 attempts) in his first 26 big-league contests. The Reds have a 20-6 record when De La Cruz has been part of the lineup. That surge has allowed them to take over the National League Central.
The Reds and Nationals will conclude their series on Thursday afternoon.
