Nick Martinez's NSFW message is exactly what Reds fans want to hear

The Cincinnati Reds got a crucial win on Tuesday night at Petco Park. A ninth-inning blast off the bat of Tyler Stephenson put the Reds up 4-2 over the San Diego Padres and Emilio Pagán shut down the Friars' bats to seal the victory. Cincinnati will go for the series win on Wednesday night with Andrew Abbott taking the hill for the ole Redlegs.

Stephenson was the hero of the game, but during the postgame interview in the clubhouse, Reds pitcher Nick Martinez could be overheard saying, "You can’t f—ing kill us.” Based on the results from Tuesday night's game, Martinez is correct.

This is exactly the type of energy Reds fans want to see from the players. Entering play on Wednesday, the Reds trail the New York Mets by just three games in the chase for the final spot in the NL Wild Card standings. For those who haven't been paying attention, the Reds were leapfrogged earlier in the week by the San Francisco Giants, who are now just two games back of the Mets.

Nick Martinez's NSFW message is exactly what Reds fans want to hear with the MLB Postseason within their grasp

The Reds playoff odds, according to FanGraphs, are not good. Ahead of their series finale against the Padres, the Reds have just a 5.1% chance to make the MLB Postseason. Among the three teams jockeying for that final Wild Card spot, the Mets' 88% chance to make the playoffs is more than 10x's higher than the Giants' odds (7.8%) of making it to October.

But while the experts foresee the Mets' as the favorite to make a run at the postseason, none of the three teams have an easy road. Though the Reds' strength of schedule is among the toughest remaining with games against the Milwaukee Brewers (3), Chicago Cubs (4), and Padres (1), Cincinnati also nine games left against teams with losing records (Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, and Pittsburgh Pirates).

The Mets still have two games left in their current series against the presumptive NL East champion Philadelphia Phillies, as well as nine combined games against the Cubs, Padres, and Texas Rangers. The Giants have the easiest path, but still have seven games remaining against their bitter rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Reds seemed to have squandered multiple chances to insert themselves into the playoff picture, but the Mets have been equally as bad. If Cincinnati catches fire down the stretch, who knows how the final week of the 2025 season will play out. At the moment, Martinez's comments appear to be holding true. The Reds can't be killed (at least not yet).

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