Elly De La Cruz turned a losing effort into a historic one on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, launching the longest home run hit there all season and, minutes later, unleashing the fastest infield throw ever recorded — all in the same inning.

In the top of the third, De La Cruz jumped on a first-pitch, 87 mph changeup from Dodgers starter Tarik Skubal and sent it 444 feet into left-center field, a Statcast-projected blast that beat a July shot from Shohei Ohtani by seven feet for the longest home run at Dodger Stadium in 2026, according to MLB.com. The two-run shot was his 25th of the season, matching his own career high, and extended his home run streak to four straight games.

Cincinnati's night got stranger from there. In the bottom of the same inning, De La Cruz raced from his shortstop position out toward center field to serve as a relay man on a deep drive, then fired a throw home that Statcast measured at 102 mph, cutting down Teoscar Hernández before he could complete an inside-the-park home run. The assist broke De La Cruz's own previous record of 99.8 mph, the fastest throw by an infielder tracked since Statcast began measuring in 2015, per WKRC Local 12.

A Rare Kind of Night

Despite the fireworks, the Reds fell 3-2 to the defending World Series champions, unable to build on De La Cruz's third-inning heroics. The 24-year-old switch-hitter is now one of just three Reds players — joining Hall of Famer Joe Morgan and 1980s star Eric Davis — to post multiple seasons with at least 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases, a power-speed combination that has made him one of the sport's most electric players this season.

"I know I turn on the old things and you see Dave Parker or somebody making throws, or Clemente — they might be showing that one," Reds manager Terry Francona said of the relay throw, according to MLB.com.

The four-game home run streak also puts De La Cruz in select company: he becomes one of just 11 hitters in Reds history to have multiple streaks of at least four consecutive games with a home run, a list that includes Johnny Bench, Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Robinson and Joey Votto, among others.

De La Cruz's dual highlight-reel plays come as Cincinnati pushes for a playoff spot in the season's final weeks, with the shortstop's blend of raw power and elite arm strength increasingly drawing comparisons to some of the franchise's all-time greats. The Reds continued their series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles this week before returning home to close out the schedule.

With three weeks left in the regular season, De La Cruz sits at 25 home runs and well into double-digit stolen bases, keeping him in the mix for another 25-25 campaign as Cincinnati looks to turn individual brilliance into a postseason berth.