TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — Elly De La Cruz launched two home runs and drove in five, Chase Burns struck out eight over 5 2/3 strong innings, and the Cincinnati Reds pounded the Tampa Bay Rays 12-6 on Tuesday night at George Steinbrenner Field.

The Reds, winners of five straight and nine of their last 10, improved to 16-8, while the Rays fell to 12-11.

Cincinnati wasted no time, striking for two runs in the first inning against Rays starter Steven Matz. After a leadoff walk to Dane Myers, De La Cruz hammered a line-drive, two-run homer to right-center field. The offensive onslaught continued in the second when Ke’Bryan Hayes and Myers hit back-to-back solo shots, pushing the lead to 4-0.

Burns, the winning pitcher, was dominant early. The right-hander allowed just four hits and two earned runs while walking one. He faced minimal pressure as the Reds built their lead, with Tampa Bay failing to advance a runner past second base through the first five innings.

The Reds broke the game open with a four-run sixth. After two walks, Matt McLain doubled home a run. De La Cruz then drove in another with a fielder’s choice, and Sal Stewart delivered the big blow, a two-run single to center that made it 9-0.

Tampa Bay finally broke through against Burns in the bottom of the sixth. Following a single by Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda connected for a two-run homer to right field, cutting the deficit to 9-2.

Cincinnati responded immediately, adding two more in the seventh on an RBI single from De La Cruz and a sacrifice fly from Stewart. De La Cruz capped his spectacular night with a solo blast to left-center in the ninth, his eighth of the season, to extend the lead to 12-2.

The most important part of the game was the Reds’ immediate and sustained offensive explosion. By scoring two runs in the first and two more in the second, they placed immediate pressure on Matz and the Rays, allowing Burns to pitch with a significant cushion. This early barrage set the tone for the entire contest and rendered Tampa Bay’s late rally meaningless.

The Rays mounted a frantic, four-run rally in the bottom of the ninth against Reds reliever Ben Williamson, who struggled with his command. Three walks and a two-run double by Jonny DeLuca accounted for the scoring, but Pierce Johnson entered to record the final out with the bases loaded, securing the victory.

De La Cruz, the top star for Cincinnati, finished 3 for 6. His performance marked a powerful breakout after a relatively quiet stretch at the plate in recent games. Burns earned the win, improving to 2-1. Matz took the loss for Tampa Bay, surrendering six earned runs on six hits in five innings, to fall to 3-1.

Stewart contributed three RBIs for the Reds, while Aranda drove in three for the Rays. Cincinnati’s bullpen, aside from the ninth-inning struggles, was effective, with Sam Moll and Johnson combining for 2 1/3 scoreless innings before the final frame.

The game, played in 3 hours before a crowd of 14,749, saw the teams combine for 18 runs, surpassing the pregame over/under line of 7.5. The result defied the projections of Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 6-5 Rays victory, and its ELO system, which gave Tampa Bay a 50.9% probability to win.

The two teams will conclude their three-game series on Wednesday. The Reds will then return home to open a series against the Detroit Tigers on Friday, while the Rays will host the Minnesota Twins starting Friday.