Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz and Noelvi Marte celebrate after a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Cincinnati Reds’ Nick Martinez hits an RBI single during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Cincinnati Reds’ Spencer Steer hits an RBI single during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Cincinnati Reds’ TJ Friedl hits a double during the third inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Reds have put themselves in position to keep the Mets out of the playoffs
MILWAUKEE (AP) 鈥 The Cincinnati Reds have put themselves in position to earn their first playoff berth since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season while keeping the free-spending New York Mets out of the postseason.
Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz and Noelvi Marte celebrate after a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
MILWAUKEE (AP) 鈥 The Cincinnati Reds have put themselves in position to earn their first playoff berth since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season while keeping the free-spending New York Mets out of the postseason.
颁颈苍肠颈苍苍补迟颈鈥檚 over the Milwaukee Brewers and New York鈥檚 to the Miami Marlins on Friday enabled the Reds to tie the Mets for the National League鈥檚 third and final wild-card playoff berth. The Reds own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Mets, whose at the start of the season led all MLB teams.
鈥淥bviously I think we can start to feel it a little bit, but at the same time, we鈥檝e got to take care of business,鈥 颁颈苍肠颈苍苍补迟颈鈥檚 Gavin Lux said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not there yet still. We鈥檝e just got to keep trying to win every pitch and take it game by game. We all know how fast things can change.鈥
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Cincinnati hasn鈥檛 been more than seven games above .500 at any point this season and has gone just 15-18 over its last 33 games. Yet the Reds have still played well enough to catch the Mets, who have lost 16 of their last 25 games.
The Mets were 45-24 and had the best record in the majors on June 12, but they鈥檝e gone 37-54 since.
鈥淲e鈥檝e put ourselves in this position,鈥 Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters after their Friday night loss in Miami. 鈥淗ere we are. We鈥檝e got to come back tomorrow and the next day now. We鈥檝e got to win the next two and see what happens.鈥
The Reds (82-78) are seeking to make the playoffs in a non-pandemic season for the first time since 2013. They haven鈥檛 won a postseason game since 2012 and haven鈥檛 won a playoff series since 1995.
They finally might get back to the postseason with help from guys who are accustomed to this stage.
Lux, who won World Series rings with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020 and 2024, doubled twice and scored the go-ahead run Friday. Reds manager Terry Francona led the Boston Red Sox to a 2004 World Series championship and brought Cleveland to Game 7 of the 2016 Fall Classic.
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The 66-year-old Francona spent a year away from the game for health reasons before this season.
鈥淭his is as exciting as it gets,鈥 Francona said. 鈥淭o not admit that you鈥檙e nervous, I think that would be wrong. I鈥檓 nervous as hell.鈥
The Reds鈥 path to a rare postseason bid means getting past their recent nemesis.
Cincinnati has lost each of its last 13 series with the Milwaukee Brewers. Ending that streak just might catapult the Reds into the playoffs.
鈥淚t鈥檇 be kind of the perfect time to do it,鈥 Reds reliever Tony Santillan said. 鈥淪eason on the line, beat them, win against them and advance to the postseason by beating them. I feel like it鈥檚 been a while.鈥
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