CINCINNATI — One look was all that was needed when he made his debut in 2023.
When Matt McLain stepped on the field that season, he was immediately the best all-around player on the Reds. He could field, hit and run like a player who’s been in the big leagues for years. He was a natural. The only question was where would he land in the field. He was a natural shortstop. He played 53 games there in 2023 and 37 at second.
That best all around player didn’t play in 2024 but has returned healthy and happy for the start of this season. And just two games in, you can see the happiness spread to other teammates.
Most notably, the player that came up nine days before McLain, and the one that gets all the headlines for his electric style on the field, couldn’t be happier that his double play partner is back.
Just two games into this season, and Elly De La Cruz looks like a different player at short. De La Cruz has found his groove at short because McLain is the mainstay at second. There was some talk this spring about moving McLain to the outfield but that thought is no longer after watching the impact they have as a double play combo.
In Saturday’s 3-2 win over the Giants, McLain took center stage and helped the Reds deliver Terry Francona his first win as Cincinnati skipper.
De La Cruz fielded a sharp one-hopper to his right by Wilmer Flores in the sixth. McLain took the perfect throw at the bag and threw onto Christian Encarnacion-Strand at first, completing a 6-4-3 double play that got starter Nick Lodolo threw six innings.
“That ball, that Flores hit, I mean, he made it look easy, like an easy turn,” McLain said. “He was damn near at third base. It was a sick play, and he made it look really easy. So feed was right on the money, so I just got to turn it at that point.”
Just before the double play ball, the speedy Jung Hoo Lee opened the inning with a sharp grounder to short right field. McLain ranged far to his left, made a sliding snag, got up and threw out Lee.
If McLain doesn’t make that play, Matt Chapman’s single that followed would’ve started a San Francisco rally. Instead, the Chapman single was wiped out by the aforementioned double play.
“That was huge,” Lodolo said. “That changes the whole inning because Chapman singles after that. Incredible play by Matt. Kinda did it all today.”
McLain and De La Cruz were far from finished. In the seventh, McLain snared a grounder from Patrick Bailey and started a 4-6-3 double play that got Tony Santillan out of trouble.
And in the eighth, with Graham Ashcraft making his first Major League relief appearance after 60 career starts, McLain ranged over the bag to the shortstop side, fielded a Heliot Ramos grounder, came back to the bag and threw onto first for a 4-3 double play that was critical, since Ashcraft would yield two hits in the inning.
The smile on De La Cruz’s face after McLain stepped in front of him to make the twin-killing turn told a clear story.
“I think you can tell that Elly is thrilled he’s back, and I can see why,” said skipper Terry Francona. “He plays like a veteran. I think they’re good for each other. But they’re strong up the middle. It’s been fun to watch, and it will be funner to watch as they keep playing.
I think he just plays the game right.”
“I think it’s just working together pregame,” McLain told me. “It starts in spring training, and just getting to know each other.”
While range is important, the communication on a play like McLain’s in the eighth is evidence of unspoken communication. While both McLain and De La Cruz demonstrated athleticism Saturday, there’s much more to their potential dominance up the middle.
“I think it’s more than that. There’s communication too, because they both can range both ways. Matt decided to take one by himself there. I thought CES made a really nice play on ball. One hit hard, but it was we had him on the line, so he had a ways to go. Those real quick. Playing clean baseball, it gives you a chance. If you don’t play clean baseball in a game like today, we don’t win.
“We played very good defense, and that that’s what we’re going to need to do. We know that,” Francona said.
Of course, there was the offense to go with the defense for McLain and De La Cruz. McLain, who just missed tying the game in the ninth on Thursday, didn’t miss against Justin Verlander on Saturday, driving a pitch to the seats in left for his first hit and homer of 2025. He was 0-for-6 before that at-bat but finished the day with a homer, a double and two runs scored.
“That’s baseball. You just got to keep playing. Keep showing up,” McLain said. “I said that after the game on Thursday that I think you just got to play the game hard, play the game the right way for 162 and see where the chips fall.”
Cool moment:
About a minute into Terry Francona’s victorious post-game press conference Saturday, he was interrupted. Usually, Francona hates to be interrupted in any form or fashion. He once gave David Ortiz a scolding for doing so at Fenway Park in a pregame presser with the Red Sox. But when Emilio Pagan broke into Saturday’s presser, Francona was willing to accept the disruption as Pagan came in to deliver the game ball from his first win as Reds manager. It also marked his 1,951st win of his managerial career, now in its 24th season. The 1,951 wins is 57 shy of Leo Durocher for 12th on the all-time MLB list.
“Your first one,” Pagan said in placing the ball on the dais in front of Francona.
“You would think that after all these years, I couldn’t even breathe in the ninth inning,” Francona said. “Perspective, I have none. I showed up here this morning quarter of nine, all I want to do is win. So to hear music (after a win) is pretty cool.”
Francona pregame notes Saturday:
