MLB ROUNDUP: Reds’ Elly De La Cruz rocks 456-foot HR while being teased by the Brewers’ scoreboard operator for getting robbed of another earlier

Cincinnati rookie sensation Elly De La Cruz served up some red-hot revenge to the rival Milwaukee Brewers on Monday with a towering 456-foot home run, albeit in a losing effort. 

The 21-year-old couldn’t have picked a better moment to hit his sixth longball after being robbed of another in the first inning and subsequently being teased about it by the Brewers’ scoreboard operator.

De La Cruz appeared to go deep off Brewers starter Colin Rea to lead off the game, but Milwaukee centerfielder Joey Wiemer tracked the shot back to the wall and easily snagged the would-be home run. 

Two innings later, the Brewers’ scoreboard operator decided to add insult to injury when De La Cruz returned to the plate by writing a snarky message on the jumbotron alongside the Reds star’s face: ‘Almost hit a home in the first inning… but didn’t.’

It’s unlikely De La Cruz saw the scoreboard caption, but regardless, he responded by hitting the ball 456 feet at 113.7mph. 

The Brewers’ scoreboard operator decided to tease De La Cruz about getting robbed of a HR

Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz reacts after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning

Unfortunately for Cincinnati, Milwaukee got the last laugh when Christian Yelich knocked a walk-off RBI-single in the bottom of the ninth to give the Brewers a 3-2 win. As a result, Milwaukee extended its lead over Cincinnati in the National League’s Central Division to 1.5 games. 

Milwaukee’s Blake Perkins walked on four pitches to open the ninth off All-Star Alexis Diaz (3-2), who entered the game to start the inning. Jesse Winker, who entered hitting .194, followed with a pinch-hit single to right.

Yelich then lined a 1-0 pitch to right to score Perkins from second, snapping the Reds five-game winning streak.

Rookie Sal Frelick, who was 4-for-6 in his first two games since being called up Saturday from Triple-A Nashville, brought the Brewers even at 2-2 with one out in the sixth with his first career home run, a 384-foot solo shot to right. 

ORIOLES 3, PHILLIES 2 

Rookie Colton Cowser hit a tiebreaking double in the ninth inning after helping to throw out the potential go-ahead run in the eighth, lifting the surging Baltimore Orioles to a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night.

Ryan Mountcastle and Jordan Westburg homered for the AL-East leading Orioles, who have won 13 of 16 games and moved 2 1/2 games ahead of idle Tampa Bay.

Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber drove in runs for the defending NL champion Phillies. Philadelphia has lost five of six.

Cowser entered as a defensive replacement for Aaron Hicks in the third inning after Hicks was hurt making a diving catch. In the ninth, he lofted a flyball to left against Craig Kimbrel (6-2) that went off the glove of diving left fielder Schwarber.

Bryan Baker (4-3) got the win in relief of Dean Kremer, who allowed one run on three hits in seven innings. Cionel Pérez pitched out of trouble in the ninth for his first save.

Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryce Harper, top, is tagged out by Baltimore Orioles’ James McCann, 

ROYALS 5, GUARDIANS 3

Salvador Perez became the 10th player in major league history to hit 200 homers as a catcher and Ryan Yarbrough allowed one run in six innings, lifting Kansas City over Cleveland.

Perez hit a two-run shot in the sixth off Logan Allen (4-3) to put Kansas City ahead 4-0. He has 240 homers overall in 12 seasons. Hall of Famer Mike Piazza holds the big league record for homers as a catcher with 396.

Yarbrough (3-5) won at Cleveland for the second time in 15 days. Scott Barlow gave up two hits in the ninth before picking up his 12th save.

Kansas City ended a five-game skid while Cleveland fell four games behind first-place Minnesota in the AL Central.

Kansas City Royals’ Salvador Perez celebrates in the dugout following his home run in the sixth 

TWINS 4, MARINERS 3, 10 innings

Carlos Correa’s flare to right field evaded a sliding Teoscar Hernández and scored automatic runner Donovan Solano in the 10th as Minnesota won its second straight game in extra innings.

Solano moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Christian Vázquez against Paul Sewald (3-1), and Ryan Jeffers reached when no Seattle player covered first base on another bunt. Correa then sent a soft liner to right that Hernández couldn’t catch.

Jorge Lopez (4-2) retired all three batters he faced in the top of the 10th for Minnesota, which is 9-2 since the All-Star break.

Max Kepler had an RBI double in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game for the Twins. Kolten Wong hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer with two outs in the top of the inning for the Mariners.

Twins’ Jorge Lopez, back left, douses Carlos Correa, right, with ice water after walk-off win

ROCKIES 10, NATIONALS 6

Nolan Jones hit a two-run homer, Alan Trejo had a double and three singles, and Colorado beat Washington.

Karl Kauffman (1-3) pitched four-plus innings of one-run relief for his first major league win as last-place Colorado (40-60) improved to 6-3 since the All-Star break.

Jeimer Candelario had a three-run homer and a double for the Nationals, who were looking for their first four-game winning streak of the season.

Patrick Corbin (6-11) gave up six runs – five earned – and 10 hits over 6 1/3 innings.

Colorado Rockies’ Alan Trejo celebrates with teammates after game against the Nationals 

TIGERS 5, GIANTS 1

Tarik Skubal struck out nine while recording his first victory in over a year and Detroit handed San Francisco its season-worst sixth straight loss.

Skubal (1-1) held the Giants scoreless on two hits in five innings in a game that was a makeup of an April 16 postponement. His previous victory came against Oakland on July 21 last season. He had flexor tendon surgery in August.

Zack Short hit a two-run homer and Kerry Carpenter also drove in two runs for Detroit.

Ross Stripling (0-4) gave up three runs and 10 hits in six-plus innings.

Tigers’ Riley Greene beats the relay throw to San Francisco catcher Patrick Bailey to score 

ASTROS 10, RANGERS 9

Chas McCormick homered with a career-high six RBIs before a tiebreaking RBI single by Yainer Díaz with one out in the ninth lifted the Houston Astros to a 10-9 win over the Texas Rangers.

The victory moves Houston within 2 games of the Rangers, who lead the AL West.

Rookie Alex Speas (0-2) walked Kyle Tucker to start the ninth before McCormick walked with one out. Díaz then lined his single to right field and Tucker slid in just before the tag to set off Houston’s celebration.

The play was reviewed and upheld. Ryan Pressly (3-2) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win.

Astros’ Kyle Tucker, right, scores the winning run past Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim, left, 

PIRATES 8, PADRES 4

Carlos Santana hit a pair of two-run homers and the Pittsburgh Pirates went deep four times in an 8-4 win over the San Diego Padres on Monday night.

Liover Peguero also hit a two-run home run and Jack Suwinksi added a solo shot as the Pirates tagged Padres starter Yu Darvish four times.

San Diego’s Ha-Seong Kim slugged a pair of homers in the loss.

Kim opened the scoring in the first inning with a 387-foot shot to left-center, giving the Padres the early 1-0 lead.

In the third inning, Suwinksi tied the game with a solo shot and Santana homered on a full count, scoring Andrew McCutchen, who had reached on a single and stole second and giving the Pirates a 3-1 lead.

Peguero hit his first career and two-run homer in the top of the fourth inning. Peguero´s shot down the left field line put Pittsburgh up 5-1 and scored Jared Triolo, who had reached on a base hit to left.

Pittsburgh Pirates players celebrate after the Pirates defeating the San Diego Padres 8-4

CARDINALS 10, DIAMONDBACKS 6 

Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer and then a tying single in the ninth inning against his former team, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 10-6 victory over the skidding Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.

It was a back-and-forth game that saw the Cardinals take a 5-2 lead after five innings, only to watch the Diamondbacks push ahead 6-5 heading into the ninth. But St. Louis rallied against closer Andrew Chafin, loading the bases with one out.

That’s when Goldschmidt sent a full-count pitch into left field for a single that made it 6-all. Chafin (2-3) struck out Nolan Arenado for the second out but then walked Lars Nootbaar, which forced home Willson Contreras for a 7-6 lead.

Tyler O’Neill followed with a crucial blow, hitting a three-run double off Kevin Ginkel that made it 10-6.

St. Louis snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 7-4 since the All-Star break.

Arizona has dropped five straight, continuing an extended slide. The D-backs are 5-13 in July, which could change the team’s approach to the rapidly approaching trade deadline on August 1.