CHICAGO — On Sunday, one day after the death of his sister, Elly De La Cruz wanted to play. His teammates spent the day making sure that De La Cruz knew that they were thinking about him and his family.

“In a heartbeat, you’re reminded of what’s really important,” Terry Francona said. “Everybody kept their head on a swivel with him today to try to take care of him.”

De La Cruz wrote, “RIP” on his cleats before the series finale against the Cubs in honor of his sister, Genelis De la Cruz Sánchez. When Elly De La Cruz homered in the sixth inning — the second hardest-hit homer of his big league career — he grabbed the pendant that he wears over his neck every day, which has a photo of De La Cruz with family members.

De La Cruz didn’t just play on Sunday. He played a terrific game and reach

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