PITTSBURGH -- Perhaps like it was for De La Soul decades ago, three will be the magic number for Reds rookie Elly De La Cruz in 2023.

De La Cruz was moved from leadoff to the three-spot on Friday vs. the Pirates and -- presto-chango -- it instantly paid off during Cincinnati's 9-2 victory at PNC Park, when the shortstop hit a two-run triple during a three-run top of the first inning. 

"That first inning was right how you draw it up. It was perfect," center fielder TJ Friedl said. “That set the tone from the get-go, getting off to an early lead like that.”

De La Cruz, 21, never found a groove as a leadoff hitter for the Reds after manager David Bell moved him there from the cleanup spot on July 17. In 21 games at the top of the order, he batted .207 with a .281 on-base percentage and a 41 percent strikeout rate.

Meanwhile, the Reds were in need of a jumpstart, coming in as losers of eight of their previous nine games.

When Bell moved De La Cruz down, he moved the recently hot-hitting Friedl up from second to first and Matt McLain from third to second.

“Just re-arranging the top three guys," Bell said pregame. "When those guys are swinging the bat well, it probably really doesn’t matter where they’re hitting. It’s at the top of the order. Elly was moved from one important spot in the order to another important spot in the order."

De La Cruz, who hit cleanup for his first 33 starts in the big leagues before becoming the leadoff man, didn't fret about the latest change.

“It doesn’t matter where they put me in the lineup, I’m going to be able to contribute as much as I can, wherever I can," De La Cruz said via translator Jorge Merlos. "Obviously, you saw the results out there, and it turned out well.”

Did it ever.

Before making their first out in the game, the Reds took a 3-0 lead against Pirates starter Johan Oviedo. Friedl opened with a walk and McLain hit a single to set up De La Cruz, which gave him a favorable inauguration at the third spot.

"Especially when you’ve got guys on base for the first at-bat, it makes a whole bunch of difference, obviously," De La Cruz said. “The next at-bats are just like a normal at-bat.”

De La Cruz pulled a two-run triple to the right-field corner. Up next, Spencer Steer added an RBI double to left field. 

Reds rookie lefty Andrew Abbott handled his part of the job, allowing two earned runs and four hits over 5 2/3 innings. Abbott, who did not walk a batter and struck out nine, retired his first 10 batters, and 17 of his first 18. He gave up three two-out hits in the sixth inning, including Ke'Bryan Hayes' homer to center field.

Having a first-inning lead made Abbott's work much easier.

“Those guys are in there doing their jobs. Great at-bat from TJ leading off the game, and Matt with the single," said Abbott, who is 7-3 with a 2.95 ERA in 13 starts. "It just feeds into the next person, and then you take the energy from the hitters and you go out to the pitching mound and try to keep the momentum on your side for as long as you can.”

The Cincinnati lead grew to 6-0 in the fourth inning when No. 9 hitter Luke Maile hit a three-run homer to left-center field against Oviedo, who was 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA in his previous three starts.

It was a 6-2 game when the Reds tacked on three runs in the eighth inning, two coming on RBI singles by Friedl and De La Cruz. Slugging alongside De La Cruz, Friedl is 7-for-22 with eight RBIs in his past six games.

“I’ve been leadoff, I’ve been two, I’ve been everywhere. Just another day as usual," he said.

The Reds (61-57) remained tied with the Cubs (60-56) for the third and final National League Wild Card spot.

Bell is likely to stick with this top three of his lineup for the time being.

“We try not to make too big of a deal about the lineup, but of course, everything matters," Bell said after the game. "Getting off to a good start like that, and Elly being able to contribute right from the first inning, it’s a good way to start it out. You make changes, you don’t like to make too many of them, but when you do and players can settle in quick, it helps.”