The Cincinnati Reds' momentum hit a snag in their playoff race as they fell 4-2 to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park, with a reported attendance of 29,847. This loss yesterday, as noted by our partners at FOX19, coincided with a crucial time for the Reds as the National League playoffs loom.
A blistering second inning for the Pirates saw them rake in four runs against the Reds’ starter Brady Singer, with Oneil Cruz belting a two-run home run to rattle Cincinnati and the home crowd, this despite the Reds entering the game off a five-game winning streak which settled them in a tie-break playoff position on Sept. 21, but now their grip on the postseason appears slightly more precarious. Simultaneously, according to Spectrum News 1, the New York Mets clawed back to win against the Chicago Cubs, thus nudging ahead of Cincinnati by a full game in the third NL wild card chase.
Despite the Reds' efforts, including a two-run homer by Elly De La Cruz to cut the deficit, Pittsburgh's defense remained solid. Rookie Hunter Barco, in an impressive major league debut, quelled a critical sixth-inning threat by coaxing Matt McLain into a groundout with runners on the corners, as detailed in the report from Spectrum News 1. The Reds displayed a struggle to recover after their early setbacks, managing only five hits and falling victim to three inning-ending double plays throughout the game, ultimately sealing their fate as Dennis Santana secured his 15th save for Pittsburgh.
The series opener's result has left the Reds' playoff aspirations in a more delicate state, now trailing in the National League Wild Card race with just a handful of games remaining in the season with them now needing to play a sharp catch-up if they intend to extend their season beyond September as the final Wild Card berth remains up for grabs with the team sporting an 80-77 record. "That wasn't our goal today (to lose)," Reds manager Terry Francona stated, expressing the team's disappointment yet readiness to fight back in the following games, as The Enquirer reported. Francona's squad will have to rally without room for error if they hope to play ball in October—each remaining game a high-stakes gambit in the race to the postseason.
