Reds' Elly De La Cruz and Mariners' Trent Thornton Battle Heat and Illness in Sweltering Games

In a weekend where the heatwave took center stage across the United States, Cincinnati Reds' shortstop Elly De La Cruz and Seattle Mariners' reliever Trent Thornton found themselves facing additional adversity on the field.

Playing under intense conditions, De La Cruz succumbed temporarily, visibly ill with two outs in the fourth inning of the Reds' extra-inning defeat against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Dominican native, undeterred by the on-field setback, managed to stay in the game. His perseverance paid off with a two-run homer in the seventh inning, a testament to his endurance and drive.

“He drank a lot of water, really a lot,” Reds manager Terry Francona recounted. “And then he went out there again, pushing through.”

Meanwhile, in Chicago, Trent Thornton exhibited similar grit. Through 2 1/3 innings of deserved scoreless pitching, Thornton was forced out in the eighth inning due to heat-induced illness. Mariners manager Dan Wilson described it as a “heat-related illness,” expressing relief at Thornton's subsequent recovery by assuring, “He battled hard. But I'm really glad he's feeling a bit better now.”

With temperatures soaring to 92 degrees in St. Louis and even hitting 94 during the Mariners' face-off against the Cubs in Chicago, the toll was palpable all around. The oppressive heat also affected umpiring dynamics, briefly sidelining Chad Whitson due to similar symptoms during the Mariners' bout, necessitating an adjustment to three umpires on the field.

“It was unavoidable today; the heat was intense,” Wilson noted, his sentiment echoed by many as dehydration became a defining theme.

Hoping for respite, safety measures at Wrigley Field included cooling stations and emergency personnel on standby, prepared to manage incidents. Fans were given respite through misting tents and cooling buses.

As the series concludes, both teams hope for more temperate conditions in their forthcoming games.