Reds’ Elly De La Cruz steals 60th base, hits 22nd home run

TORONTO —  Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz joined a select group Wednesday night by stealing his major-league-leading 60th base of the year and becoming the fifth player in MLB history to have at least 20 home runs and 60 stolen bases in a single season.

After striking out in his first at-bat in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays, De La Cruz reached base four times. He stole third base in the fifth inning and later came home to score the tying run. De La Cruz then added his 22nd homer, a solo shot off Zach Pop in the eighth, as the Reds overcame a six-run deficit to win 11-7.

“That’s us,” De La Cruz said. “We never give up. Down six, it doesn’t matter. We fight until the last out.”

De La Cruz said he was happy about joining the exclusive 20-homer, 60-steal club.

“It means a lot,” he said. “That’s why I’m working in the offseason. I feel so proud and so happy.”

Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. became the fourth player to join the 20-homer, 60-stolen base club last season, when he hit 41 home runs and stole 73 bases.

Acuña became the first to do it since Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson in 1990. Henderson also did it in 1985 and 1986.

De La Cruz is the third Reds player on the list. Former Cincinnati star Eric Davis had 27 home runs and 80 stolen bases in 1986.

Reds great and Hall of Famer Joe Morgan had the first 20-homer, 60-steal season in majors history in 1973, hitting 26 homers and stealing 67 bases. Morgan did it again in 1976, hitting 27 homers and stealing 60 bases.

De La Cruz, 22, is the youngest Reds player with 60 stolen bases in a season in franchise history, and the youngest across MLB with a 60-stolen base season since José Reyes (22) in 2005.

“It’s unbelievable what he can do day in and day out,” Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson said.

ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.