Game recap and key moments
After a 71‑minute rain delay, the Cincinnati Reds emerged from the dugout with a clear purpose: break the deadlock and keep their wild‑card hopes alive. The only run of the night came in the third inning. Matt McLain ripped a double down the left‑center line, shuffled to third on a sacrifice, and then sprinted home on a two‑out double by Gavin Lux to right field.
Lux was the night’s offensive leader, accounting for two of the Reds’ five hits. He also drove in the decisive run, giving Cincinnati a 1‑0 edge that would hold for the rest of the game.
Chicago’s starter, Jameson Taillon, was solid through seven innings—no walks and four strikeouts—but he couldn’t retire the Reds in the critical fifth inning, and the lone run proved enough. He took the loss, dropping his record to 10‑7.
On the home‑team side, Andrew Abbott was the first to leave the mound after 4 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and no runs. The bullpen picked up the slack: Nick Martinez delivered 2 1/3 shutout innings to pick up the win (11‑13), while Graham Ashcraft tossed a perfect eighth.
The Cubs threatened late, loading the bases with two outs in the ninth. Tony Santillan, the Reds’ reliever, fanned Pete Crow‑Armstrong to lock down his seventh save of the season.
Playoff implications and next steps
This victory marks the Reds’ second 1‑0 win in a four‑game series against Chicago, the first coming under Hunter Greene’s complete‑game shutout on Thursday. The win pushes Cincinnati into a tie with the New York Mets for the final NL wild‑card spot, a dramatic swing given the Reds’ 10‑5 run since September 5.
The Mets, meanwhile, slipped further after a loss to Washington earlier in the day, dropping to 4‑11 over the same stretch. Both clubs now sit on the brink of the postseason, making every upcoming game a must‑win.
Looking ahead, the Cubs will send right‑hander Cade Horton (11‑4, 2.66 ERA) to the mound against the Mets on Tuesday, while the Reds will counter with Brady Singer (14‑10, 3.86 ERA) opening their series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The outcomes of those games could very easily decide which team clinches the coveted wild‑card berth.
