MLB Playoffs: Cincinnati Reds maintain No. 7 seed despite loss

The Reds maintained their spot in the MLB Playoffs, for now.

The Cincinnati Reds cannot afford too many more losses, but despite falling 3-2 to the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night, the team maintained the No. 7 spot in the National League playoff picture. The Washington Nationals defeated the Philadelphia Phillies twice on Tuesday, which helped keep the Reds hope alive to sneak into the MLB Playoffs for the first time since 2013.

Cincinnati took the lead early last night, but faltered down the stretch. Nick Castellanos hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, but that was the only dent the Reds managed to put in the scoreboard.

The game marked a return to the mound for right-hander Sonny Gray, who went five innings, allowed just one run and struck out eight. But, Tejay Antone, after putting together a flawless performance in the sixth inning, allowed a single, a double, a sacrifice fly and an RBI double before recording his first out in the seventh inning. The Brewers led 3-2 and would not give up the lead.

Cincinnati does battle with that same Milwaukee squad tonight, with a potential spot in the MLB Playoffs hanging in the balance. The Reds, who’ve won eight of their last 10 games, are sitting at 28-28 (.500). The Brewers (27-27) are currently slated to occupy the No. 8 spot in the National League.

With three games on the road in Minneapolis to close the season, Cincinnati needs a win tonight. Doing so would give the Reds a 21-19 record in intradivision games, which will be used as a tiebreaker in the event that more than one team ends the 2020 season with an identical record. The San Francisco Giants are also in the postseason conversation, as their record stands at 27-27.

This will be a sprint to the finish, but Cincinnati is now one win up in the win column against Milwaukee, San Francisco and Philadelphia. The Phillies (27-29) also have one more loss than the Reds. Philadelphia plays Washington once more before closing out the season versus the Tampa Bay Rays, who’ll be looking to lock up the No. 1 seed in the American League.

The Giants still have two games remaining against the Colorado Rockies and close out 2020 with four games against the San Diego Padres. The Brewers close out the three-game set tonight with the Reds before finishing up a five-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The MLB Playoffs will be set in the coming days, and while the Cincinnati Reds need to focus on the opponent, fans will be scoreboard watching over the next five days. Reds Country will no doubt be joining the Friar Faithful and yes, even Redbird Nation through next weekend.