Reds Get in Playoffs Despite Falling to Brewers in Regular-Season Finale

DENVER -- Four years ago, the Reds won just 83 games. They had a 69-57 record before falling apart in late August and September, which led to them falling out of the Playoffs.

This season, the Reds were 67-60 in late August. Despite going just 16-19 over their last 35 games, including bad series losses to the Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates, the Reds found a way into the Playoffs.

Is this team, at 83-79, good enough to be in the Playoffs? That's debatable. But they're in.

They'll play at the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Wild Card Series. Can they beat the Dodgers? Sure. It's the Playoffs. Anything can happen.

The Reds did lose 4-2 to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday in Game 162. But thanks to the New York Mets losing 4-0 to the Miami Marlins, the Reds got in by virture of winning the regular-season series against the Mets.

This Reds team just simply never sustained the knockout blow. They always got up. Even after losing two games to Pittsburgh, this team got up to win three out of four games to close the regular season.

Cincinnati is in the Postseason for just the fifth time since 1995 and second time since 2013. It's also the Reds first Postseason appearance in a full season since 2013.

Now, each team has a 0-0 record that's in the Playoffs. Is this Reds team good enough to win two out of three in Los Angeles? They certainly can.

Here's one thing that is clear: Terry Francona has won before in the Playoffs. This is now the third team he has taken to the Playoffs in his first season as their manager.

Francona's teams have been counted out over the years in the Playoffs, but that's when they're at their best. This Reds team was counted out and written off so many times this season. Maybe this team is ready for the drama of October. They've been in drama for the previous six months. They can certainly have one more month of it.

Scoring Summary

Top 2nd
CIN: Elly De La Cruz solo home run (22) (Reds lead 1-0)

Top 3rd
CIN: TJ Friedl solo home run (14) (Reds lead 2-0)

Bottom 3rd
MIL: Brice Turang RBI double (Reds lead 2-1)

Bottom 4th
MIL: Danny Jansen two-run home run (14) (Brewers lead 3-2)
MIL: Andrew Vaughan RBI double (Brewers lead 4-2)

On Deck

The Reds now head to Los Angeles to battle the reigning World Series champion Dodgers in the Wild Card round.

It's a best-of-three series starting Tuesday night with all three games in Los Angeles.

Neither team has named a starting pitcher for any of the three games. However, we do know that the first two games will be at 9:08 E.T. on ESPN on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Reds lost five out of six to the Dodgers in the regular season, including a three-game sweep in Los Angeles in late August.

If the Reds beat the Dodgers- don't count your chickens before they hatch just yet- they would play the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series.

Game 1 is Tuesday at 9:08 E.T. on ESPN. Commentators are TBD, and the game will also air on 700WLW and all across the Reds Radio Network.

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