Da La Cruz's 11 home runs leads the Reds
Thursday marked the one-year anniversary of Elly De La Cruz's his Major League Baseball debut.
The electrifying shortstop celebrated his anniversary by crushing a three-run homer over the right field wall during a game against the Chicago Cubs. De La Cruz's heroics in the third inning helped lift the Reds to a fifth consecutive victory.
The baseball exploded off De La Cruz's bat, reaching a top speed of 114.7 mph. While some fans bring a baseball glove to the ballpark just in case a foul ball or a homer is hit their way, a Reds fan in the right field stands decided to use their beer cup.
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Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) watches his ball leave the park for a 3-run home run to take a one run lead in the third inning of the MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Thursday, June 6, 2024. (Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK)
But, the fan's plastic cup did not stand a chance and exploded as soon as the baseball made contact.
"That cup died a hero," one of the game's broadcasters joked.
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The cup was filled with beer at the time, which left some fans sitting nearby drenched in beer.
Elly destroyed this baseball and this fan's beer 😂 pic.twitter.com/0qHykjO7xT
— Cut4 (@Cut4) June 7, 2024
While the fan's hilarious, albeit ill-fated attempt to snag the high-speed ball with a beer cup could end up serving as a warning for others in the future, another Reds fan was able to pull off somewhat of a similar feat last season.
Colorado Rockies infielder Ryan McMahon fouled a ball off, and a fan at Great American Ballpark happened to have his beer in the right place at the right time.
Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) celebrates with Cincinnati Reds third baseman Jeimer Candelario (3) after hitting a 3-run home run to take a one run lead in the third inning of the MLB game against the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Thursday, June 6, 2024. (Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK)
A few fans missed catching the ball with their bare hands, but the ball splashed into one of the fan's beer cup. The beer was still foaming at the top as he took a sip.
While De La Cruz knew Thursday's game marked the anniversary of his heralded debut, it did not seem to be at the forefront of his mind during the game. He also did not have anything extravagant planned after the game.
"I'm going to sleep," he said.
The Reds' four-game series against the Cubs continues through the weekend.
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
