Elly De La Cruz’s 105.3 mph Relay Cuts Down Teoscar Hernandez at the Plate

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz delivered one of the most talked-about defensive plays of the season on Tuesday night, gunning down Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez at home plate with a throw measured by Statcast at 105.3 miles per hour.

The play unfolded in the bottom of the third inning, when Hernandez lined a ball into the outfield and tried to stretch a triple into an inside-the-park home run. De La Cruz took the relay from mid-center field and fired a one-hop-quality strike to catcher Jose Trevino, who applied the tag in time. Hernandez was ruled out by more than a step, and Hernandez was instead credited with a triple.

The broadcast crew on Reds.TV — John Sadak, Chris Welsh and Jim Day — reacted with visible amazement. Sadak marveled at the velocity reading, noting the throw was tracked at 105.3 mph and asking rhetorically whether anyone could believe what they had just seen. Welsh pointed out the irony of the moment, calling it the most exciting triple he had watched all year given that the runner was thrown out on the play. Day added that even staffers who see De La Cruz every day were stunned, describing hands in the air and open mouths in the dugout area.

The moment spread quickly across social media. The Reds’ official account posted the Statcast velocity, while reporters and highlight accounts amplified the clip. Gordon Wittenmyer noted on X that the out came on a two-out triple with the game tied 2-2 in the fourth inning, and relayed a audible reaction from the press box. Jomboy Media and Talkin’ Baseball also circulated the video, with the latter highlighting De La Cruz’s athleticism on both sides of the ball within a single inning.

De La Cruz has built a reputation as one of baseball’s most physically gifted players, with his arm strength and speed regularly producing highlight-reel moments. Throws in excess of 100 mph from the infield are rare, and a relay throw reaching 105.3 mph stands out even by those standards.

Moments like this carry value beyond the box score for the teams and networks that showcase them. Broadcasters such as Fox Corporation, whose sports and entertainment portfolios rely on compelling live moments to drive viewership, benefit when plays go viral across social platforms and regional broadcast partners.

The play did not decide the game by itself — the score stood 2-2 in the fourth — but it instantly became one of the season’s signature defensive highlights.

What to watch

• Whether Statcast’s 105.3 mph reading ranks among the season’s hardest infield throws once full-season tracking data is compiled.
• Upcoming Reds-Dodgers meetings, if any remain on the 2026 schedule.
• Postseason races in both leagues, where defensive plays of this magnitude can carry outsized significance.
• Sports media earnings calendars, including Fox Corporation’s next quarterly report, for commentary on live sports viewership trends.

Source: original release