The Opener: De La Cruz, Brewers, Mets/Marlins

It was 95 degrees in San Diego yesterday, marking the hottest game in Petco Park history (h/t AJ Cassavell of MLB.com). Jackson Merrill stayed hot, homering twice to help the Padres complete the sweep. 1. Elly goes deep again The Reds were crushed 14-1 by the Dodgers last night. The one run? A homer from Elly De La Cruz. The shortstop has now left the yard in five consecutive games. He’s 15-for-31 with seven extra-base hits and 10 RBI in September. Wednesday’s solo blast off Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave De La Cruz 25 homers on the season, matching his career high. He’s slowed down in the stolen base department this year, but he’s taken a step forward at the plate. De La Cruz ranks in the top 12 among qualified hitters in SLG and wRC+. 2. Brewers sweep Cubs It got a little scary in the ninth inning, but the Brewers held on last night to take all three games from the Cubs. Kevin Gausman dominated over seven innings last time he faced Milwaukee. Wednesday’s start didn’t go as well. The Brewers scored three runs in each of the first two innings, spurred by homers from Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, and William Contreras. Milwaukee is now one and a half games up on the Dodgers and five and a half games clear of the Braves for the best record in the National League. 3. Mets/Marlins combine for 29 runs On the opening night of the NFL regular season, the Mets and Marlins put up football scores. New York held on for a 15-14 victory in a game that featured 35 hits and 10 walks. The Mets jumped out to an 8-0 lead, chasing Marlins starter Janson Junk after three innings. Miami tied the game with a five-run sixth inning, only to give up six runs in the top of the seventh. The Marlins chipped away from there, but their comeback attempt fell short in the ninth inning when Owen Caissie struck out and Graham Pauley popped up with the tying run on second base. Photo courtesy of Kiyoshi Mio, Imagn Images View Comments (16)