What is the Reds 'magic number' after their 10th walk-off victory of the season?

It's September and the Cincinnati Reds are in the playoff conversation. That means it's time to start discussing the team's magic number. But first, what does the term 'magic number' even mean?

It's essentially how close a team is to making a trip to the MLB Playoffs a reality. A team's magic number is a blend of a wins combined with the number of losses from their closest competitor.

So each time the Reds register a win, the number goes down by one. In that same way, when Cincinnati's closest competitors for that final NL Wild Card spot take one on the chin, that can reduce the number even more.

What is the Reds 'magic number' after their 10th walk-off victory of the season?

The Cincinnati Reds won a wild one at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday night. With the Seattle Mariners leading 6-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Nick Martini played the hero with a one-out, three-run, pinch-hit blast to tie the game.

After Alexis Diaz dispatched of the Mariners in the top of the ninth inning without allowing a run, the Reds sent Elly De La Cruz to the plate in the bottom of the ninth. The rookie sensation reached on an infield single, swiped second base, and came home on Christian Encarnacion-Strand's walk-off single.

The Reds record now stands at 73-68 and Cincinnati is now in sole possession of the final Wild Card spot in the National League. The Chicago Cubs maintain a 3.5 game lead over the Redlegs and the Philadelphia Phillies represent the top team in the NL Wild Card standings with a record of 76-62.

With a little more than 20 games remaining in 2023, the Cincinnati Reds' magic number is sitting at 23 with the Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks in hot pursuit. The San Francisco Giants have lost five games in a row and are now two games back in the chase for that elusive NL Wild Card spot.