Cubs - Reds

USA - MLB

Sunday afternoon's victory was critical for Cincinnati as both their youngest hitter, De La Cruz, and their oldest hitter, Votto, led the charge in a dominant 9-0 win against the Dodgers at Dodgers Stadium. The Reds claimed two out of three games in the series, propelling them back into first place in the National League Central, leading the Brewers by a half-game, who were swept by the Braves in a three-game weekend set.

The 21-year-old star, De La Cruz, had an outstanding performance, going 4-for-5 in the game. His first-inning single to right field sparked a significant rally against Dodgers starter Michael Grove. Then, with two outs in the second inning, De La Cruz blasted a 1-1 pitch 411 feet to right field at an impressive 111.3 mph exit velocity. He continued to shine with singles in the fourth and eighth innings.

De La Cruz's offensive production has improved since coming out of the All-Star break. Prior to Sunday, he had struggled with a .123 batting average (7-for-57), a .474 OPS, 2 homers, 3 RBIs, and 25 strikeouts in his past 15 games. However, in the first 30 games of his career, De La Cruz batted .325 with an .887 OPS and 4 homers.

To ignite his and the overall offense, manager David Bell made a strategic move, shifting De La Cruz from batting fourth to leading off. Though the results were initially sparse, De La Cruz showed his impact on Friday's 6-5 win over Los Angeles, opening the game with a triple and scoring the first run.

There's no denying that De La Cruz's presence has been a game-changer for the Reds. They had a 27-33 record when he was promoted to the big leagues on June 6, but since then, they have surged with a 31-16 record.

In the fourth inning of Sunday's game, Matt McLain added to the offensive showcase with a high home run into the left field bullpen. With one out, Votto crushed Grove's 2-1 pitch for a two-run homer to right field, with an impressive 111.2 mph exit velocity, making it Votto's hardest-hit ball of the season.

The entire Cincinnati team is on fire and appears ready to pose a challenge to the Cubs in their next series. Their form and momentum make them a formidable opponent, and it will be an exciting matchup to watch.