MLB roundup: Elly De La Cruz joins 60/20 club, Nolan Arenado hits walk-off grand slam against Milwaukee Brewers

jacob lev and george ramsay, cnn

Thu, 22 Aug 2024, 6:26 am·3-min read

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz joined a select group in his team’s 11-7 road win over the Toronto Blue Jays, becoming only the fifth MLB player to achieve the rare 60/20 feat.

In stealing his 60th base of the season at Rogers Centre on Wednesday, which came shortly before his 22nd home run, De La Cruz matched Ronald Acuña Jr.’s achievement for the Atlanta Braves from last season.

Eric Davis, Rickey Henderson and Joe Morgan are the other AL/NL players to join the 60/20 club since 1900.

“It means a lot,” said De La Cruz, according to MLB.com. “I’ve said before that that’s why I’m working the whole season. I feel so proud and so happy.”

The 22-year-old, named an All-Star for the first time earlier this year, reached the milestone when he stole third base in the fifth inning against the Blue Jays.

Last year, reigning NL MVP Acuña hit 41 home runs and stole 73 bases, the first player to have a 60/20 season since Henderson in 1990.

Walk-off grand slam gives Cards the W

Elsewhere in MLB’s Wednesday games, Nolan Arenado hit a walk-off grand slam to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 10-6 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Arenado is doused after hitting a walk-off grand slam against the Milwaukee Brewers. - Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports/Reuters

With the score tied at 6-6 and the bases loaded in the 10th inning, Arenado blasted a home run into the stands in left field, handing the Cardinals only their second win in nine games.

As he rounded for bases for his 14^th homer of the season, Arenado was mobbed and doused by his teammates.

“It felt great,” he said after the game, reflecting on his own struggles for form this season. “I haven’t been able to come through the way I wanted and it’s been killing me. But I just thank God that today was a good day and I was able to do it.

“We’re going to fight to the end … It hasn’t been pretty at all this year,” Arenado added. “We’re going to continue to fight, we’ve got a lot of games left. That’s all we can do.”

The Brewers had led 6-4 in the eighth inning before the Cardinals came from behind and Arenado completed the victory with the fifth walk-off homer of his career and his sixth career grand slam.