The Cincinnati Reds are heading back to the Postseason for the first time in five years after clinching a spot on Sunday.
First-year manager Terry Francona and the Reds entered the day 83-78 and tied with the New York Mets for the third National League Wild Card but had control of their Postseason destiny. All they had to do was beat the Milwaukee Brewers, holders of the best record in Major League Baseball, on the final day of the regular season.
The Reds lost 4-2 in Milwaukee, but they held a tiebreaker edge over the Mets due to Cincinnati’s 4-2 record against the New York team from the National League in the regular season this year. The Reds secured a series win at Great American Ballpark over the Mets on Sept. 7.
Back in the Postseason for the first time since 2020, Cincinnati will now fly to Los Angeles and contest the defending World Series champion Dodgers in a three-game Wild Card series. All three games will be played at Dodger Stadium.
According to Baseball Reference, the Reds went 14-11 in September during their run to the Postseason. After the final series against the Mets, Cincinnati went 11-8 including a five-game winning streak that saw the Reds sweep the Chicago Cubs at home for the first time since June 2018, according to the Reds.
The Dodgers were the first team to sweep the Reds this season Aug. 25-27. Los Angeles won the season series 5-1 and, of course, will defend its World Series championship with its first test at home against the Reds.
Cincinnati’s most recent Postseason appearance saw the Reds travel in the Wild Card round to Atlanta during the COVID-19-impacted season in 2020. The Reds failed to score a run and were swept by the Braves in two games.
The Reds’ most recent Postseason win came in 2012 during the National League Division Series against the San Francisco Giants, and their most recent Postseason series win was the 1995 NLDS.
Interestingly, Cincinnati swept Los Angeles in the 1995 NLDS. The two teams will meet against under much different circumstances, where the Dodgers are attempting to become the first repeat World Series-winning team from the National League since the Reds in 1975-76, while the Reds seek to end some Postseason droughts.
The NLWC between the Reds and Dodgers will begin Tuesday at 9:08 p.m. ET according to MLB. If Cincinnati advances, it will play the No. 2 seed Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS.
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