Cycle achievement
JJ Bleday, 28, hit for the cycle on Saturday August 23, 2026, leading the Cincinnati Reds to an 11‑5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, and recorded his 21st home run of the season in the sixth inning. The player, who signed a one‑year deal with the Reds this offseason after being non‑tendered by the Athletics, entered the game with only one hit in his previous 14 at‑bats and finished 4‑for‑6. His cycle included a double in the first inning, an RBI triple in the third, a single in the fourth, and the home run that opened the sixth. Bleday also flew out in the seventh and struck out in the ninth, ending the night with a .667 average and four hits.
Elly De La Cruz’s performance
Elly De La Cruz, also 4‑for‑6, achieved two singles, a double and a home run in the fifth inning. In the eighth inning, De La Cruz needed a triple to complete his own cycle but was struck out looking. His performance coincided with Bleday’s, but De La Cruz’s attempt fell short.
Game details
Bleday was the only Red to hit four or more home runs that night, marking the team’s tenth time hitting four or more homers in a game this season, the most in MLB. The other Reds’ home runs were: De La Cruz in the fifth, rookie Héctor Rodríguez in the seventh (his first career homer), and second baseman Matt McLain in the eighth (his 13th of the season). The first three homers were off Zack Littell, who was released by the Nationals on August 7 and signed with the Diamondbacks on August 10.
Additional context
Bleday was selected National League Player of the Month in May, after batting .301/.387/.631 with eight home runs. His arrival in the majors came on April 25 after starting the season in the minors. The Reds’ victory marked the second cycle in three years for the club, the first since Elly De La Cruz completed his on June 23, 2023.
