<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-player-must-step-up-nl-wild-card-race-mets-giants');   ga('set', 'title', '1 Reds player who must step up in NL Wild Card race with Mets, Giants');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/1-Reds-player-who-must-step-up-in-NL-Wild-Card-race-with-Mets-Giants.jpg"></figure><h1>1 Reds player who must step up in NL Wild Card race with Mets, Giants</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T12:45:39-07:00">September 11th, 12:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T12:50:33-07:00">September 11th, 12:50pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy is a Senior Editor at ClutchPoints, with expertise in MLB, NHL and golf. Chris graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds enter Thursday’s action <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/2025-mlb-power-rankings-vol-25-dodgers-tigers-lose">two games back of the New York Mets for the final NL Wild Card spot</a>. They are tied with the San Francisco Giants as the first teams out of the current picture. After taking two of three from the Amazins, Cincinnati is alive in the postseason race. But the Reds need better offense, specifically from Elly De La Cruz, to run down the Mets and make the playoffs.</p><p>De La Cruz has been one of the most electric players in baseball since he debuted in 2023. He made his second All-Star team this year and was putting together another great season at the break. Since then, De La Cruz has lacked power and not been stealing as many bases. Without either of those tools, De La Cruz is not the game-breaking player the Reds need him to be.</p><p>In 49 games<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=delacel01&amp;t=b&amp;year=2025" rel="noopener"> since the</a> All-Star Break, De La Cruz has one home run and nine stolen bases. He had a 20-20 season nearly locked down at the break, with 18 homers and 25 steals. But has lost any chance at a 30-30 campaign with his recent power outage. The Reds are just 24-25 in those 49 games, but they are still in the race.</p><p>The Reds have to look at the numbers De La Cruz has put up since the All-Star Break and be disappointed. A few timely homers and they are tied for the final NL Wild Card spot. But that is in the past, and the final two weeks will determine how this season is remembered for the team and the player.</p><p>The Reds have a chance to make the playoffs, but De La Cruz’s power outage must end to get there. How did they get this far without homers from their best player?</p><h2><b>The Reds have used an elite pitching staff to lift Elly De La Cruz</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Elly-De-La-Cruz-with-Cincinnati-Reds-1.jpg"><figcaption>Denis Poroy-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Reds started the season with a solid pitching staff. But through one incredible season from Andrew Abbott, one prospect call-up in Chase Burns, and one trade acquisition in Zack Littell, the Reds now have an elite staff. They <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-hunter-greene-flummoxed-phillies-return-injury">have leaned on Hunter Greene, when he’s healthy</a>, to be the ace, and the pieces behind him have fallen into place.</p><p>That makes the offensive downturn even worse for De La Cruz and the Reds. While there are more disappointing players, like Matt McLain, on the team, Cincinnati has expectations for its shortstop. The chances he turns it around are strong, especially considering his speed can break games even when the bat goes quiet.</p><p>The Reds have a lot of questions to answer this offseason and in the near future. They have not spent money on premier players in many years. They even traded Eugenio Suarez, who was on a team-friendly deal, to the Seattle Mariners. De La Cruz’s agent, Scott Boras, is not known for taking team-friendly deals. And aces like Greene are not cheap. If the Reds are going on a deep run, this is the year they have to do it.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-terry-francona-stat-fire-up-cincinnati-fans">Terry Francona has been a dominant September matchup</a> during his four-decade managerial career. The Reds have a solid young core with nothing to lose down the stretch. Meanwhile, the Mets have a lot of pressure because of their high payroll and their rabid fan base dying for a World Series. That could lead to a wild race for the final playoff spot.</p><p>The<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-spencer-steer-saves-game-vs-padres"> Reds just won a three-game set against the San Diego Padres</a> and have a set against the Athletics next. Their playoff chances will rest on home sets against the Cubs and Pirates and a road series against the Brewers to end the series.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

1 Reds player who must step up in NL Wild Card race with Mets, Giants

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-cincinnati-activates-two-key-pitchers-for-wild-card-chase');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds activate two key pitchers for Wild Card chase');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Reds-SP-Chase-Burns.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds activate two key pitchers for Wild Card chase</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T11:52:28-07:00">September 11th, 11:52am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T11:52:28-07:00">September 11th, 11:52am</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Despite being 14.5 games behind the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers, the Cincinnati <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/san-diego-padres/padres-news-fans-in-shock-as-san-diego-melts-down-in-the-ninth-vs-reds">Reds are still very much</a> in the hunt for a postseason spot. Only two games behind the New York Mets for the final NL Wild Card spot, the Reds are slated to start a weekend series in Sacramento against the Athletics. After taking two out of three from both the Mets and San Diego Padres, Cincinnati gained ground on two of the four teams ahead of them in the Wild Card race. As the Reds look to continue their hunt, team beat writer Mark Sheldon reported that pitchers Chase Burns and Graham Ashcraft were <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/chase-burns-graham-ashcraft-reinstated-from-injured-list" rel="noopener">activated from the 15-day IL.</a></p><p>“During Thursday’s off-day, Cincinnati activated right-handed pitchers Chase Burns and Graham Ashcraft from the 15-day injured list,” wrote Sheldon. “Right-handers Lyon Richardson and Yosver Zulueta were optioned to Triple-A Louisville.”</p><p>Adding both Burns and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-graham-ashcraft-reacts-epic-stare-down-yankees-pitchers">Ashcraft to the bullpen</a> will only lengthen the relief corps. Both arms are traditionally starters and could be again in the long term for the Reds. However, there’s no room in the rotation for either of them right now. For now, they will lend their talents to the Cincinnati bullpen. Can the Reds continue their hot streak on the West Coast in Friday night’s series opener?</p><h2><b>Reds continue unlikely pursuit of NL Wild Card spot</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Reds-SP-Graham-Ashcraft.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-graham-ashcraft-wild-in-season-turnaround-is-first-in-mlb-since-1913">While Ashcraft used to ply</a> his trade in the Reds rotation, the team transitioned him to the bullpen during Spring Training. The move has been a revelation for the right-hander, as he’s compiled a 3.72 ERA and 56 strikeouts over 58 innings. He’ll likely slide back into a seventh/eighth inning role for Cincinnati.</p><p>However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-terry-francona-hilarious-message-scout-evaluated-chase-burns">what will happen to Burns?</a> Veteran Emilio Pagan seemingly has the closer role locked in. Ashcraft will join Tony Santillan in a set-up role. Could Burns fill a fireman role, called in to get the Reds out of tough jams? His stuff is electric, and despite his inexperience, it would be a great way to get the flame-throwing righty more reps at the major league level. If Burns excels in that role, don’t be surprised to see Cincinnati sneak into the final NL Wild Card spot.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds activate two key pitchers for Wild Card chase

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-spencer-steer-saves-game-vs-padres');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds’ Spencer Steer saves game with incredible catch vs. Padres');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Spencer-Steer.jpg"><figcaption>© Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds’ Spencer Steer saves game with incredible catch vs. Padres</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T22:53:58-07:00">September 8th, 10:53pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T22:53:58-07:00">September 8th, 10:53pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds dropped a 4-3 heartbreaker to the San Diego Padres in 10 innings Monday night at Petco Park, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-spencer-steer-reveals-cincinnati-mentality-win-phillies">not before Spencer Steer delivered</a> one of the defensive highlights of the season. The third baseman’s incredible catch in the ninth inning temporarily saved the game and gave Cincinnati a chance to push it to extras.</p><p>With the score tied 3–3, Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth ripped a liner that appeared destined for extra bases. Steer sprinted to his left and made a full-extension grab, crashing to the ground while holding onto the ball. The play preserved the tie and forced a dramatic extra frame. The Talkin’ Baseball podcast posted the moment on X (formerly known as Twitter), <a href="https://x.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1965267932294062431">showcasing the effort</a> in a clip that quickly went viral.</p><p>“Hell of a grab by Spencer Steer to send this game to extras”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hell of a grab by Spencer Steer to send this game to extras <a href="https://t.co/AkRrvXMYJT">pic.twitter.com/AkRrvXMYJT</a></p><p>— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) <a href="https://twitter.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1965267932294062431?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Padres trailed 3-0 before storming back with three runs in the sixth. Yu Darvish allowed two runs over 5 2/3 innings pitched, while Cincinnati starter Nick Lodolo battled through blister trouble and flu symptoms but matched him with five innings of two-run ball. The Reds bullpen held San Diego in check until the 10th, when Cronenworth advanced on a bunt and scored on Fernando Tatis Jr.’s sacrifice fly to walk it off.</p><p>Offensively, the club rallied in the sixth behind an Austin Hays’ home run and an RBI single from Elly De La Cruz. But the Reds couldn’t capitalize after Steer’s defensive gem, going down quietly in the 10th inning to end the night.</p><p>The Reds sit at 72-72, while the St. Louis Cardinals slipped to 72-73. Cincinnati remains six games behind the New York Mets for the final National League Wild Card spot, leaving zero margin for error down the stretch.</p><p>Even in defeat, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-spencer-steer-blasts-3-hrs-vs-padres">Steer’s play</a> highlighted the grit that has kept the Reds hanging around in the playoff chase with less than three weeks left in the season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds’ Spencer Steer saves game with incredible catch vs. Padres

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-brandon-sproat-no-hitter-6th-inning-mlb-debut');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mets’ Brandon Sproat carries no-hitter into 6th inning in MLB debut');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Brandon-Sproat-with-NY-Mets-2.jpg"><figcaption>Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mets’ Brandon Sproat carries no-hitter into 6th inning in MLB debut</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-07T13:16:13-07:00">September 7th, 1:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-07T13:16:13-07:00">September 7th, 1:16pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy is a Senior Editor at ClutchPoints, with expertise in MLB, NHL and golf. Chris graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Mets lost to the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 on Sunday to drop the important series on the road. In the finale, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-new-york-calls-up-intriguing-pitching-prospect">Mets put Brandon Sproat on the hill for his MLB debut.</a> As the third pitcher to debut in recent weeks for the Amazins, eyes were on him to try and secure a playoff spot. He started off great, no-hitting the Reds through five innings, but <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/brandon-sproat-strkes-out-seven-in-major-league-debut?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage" rel="noopener">picked up the loss</a>.</p><p>“None of the first 19 batters to face Brandon Sproat in his Major League debut on Sunday recorded hits. Then the next three Reds in a row all did, dampening an otherwise encouraging outing for the rookie,” MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reported.</p><p>Noelvi Marte broke up the no-hitter with one out in the sixth inning, but the Reds had already tied the game at one. In the fourth inning, Marte walked and stole second, advancing to third on a groundout and scoring on a sacrifice fly. After Marte singled, Elly De La Cruz doubled, scoring Marte and giving the Reds the lead.</p><p>The Mets never regained the lead, even with a Juan Soto home run in the ninth inning. They lost the series to the Reds, cutting their Wild Card lead to four over Cincy and 3.5 over the San Francisco Giants. Despite the series loss, they still have a 92.5% chance of making the postseason.</p><p>The Mets have three prospects turned rotation pieces that will be key to their playoff lives. Sproat, Nolan McLean, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-jonah-tong-starts-off-historic-three-game-stretch">Jonah Tong will get key starts while they look to lock down the final Wild Card</a> spot. Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, and Clay Holmes will still be key, but the ceiling on the prospects could bring them to the World Series. Sproat starred on Sunday, even in a loss, and should continue throughout September and October.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mets’ Brandon Sproat carries no-hitter into 6th inning in MLB debut

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/why-terry-francona-isnt-managing-reds-vs-mets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Terry Francona isn’t managing Reds vs. Mets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Terry-Francona-is-not-managing-the-Reds-in-Saturday-nights-game-against-the-Mets.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Terry Francona isn’t managing Reds vs. Mets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-06T17:30:34-07:00">September 6th, 5:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-06T17:30:34-07:00">September 6th, 5:30pm</time><address><a>Steve Silverman</a>Steve Silverman has been covering the NFL for more than 35 years, and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly, and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including "Who's Better, Who's Best in the NFL." He has won multiple awards from the Pro Football Writers of America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds are hoping to climb back into the National League Wild Card race over the final weeks of the season. One of the teams they are hoping to overcome is the New York Mets, and the two teams are playing at the Great American Ball Park Saturday night. If the Reds can win that game, they will do it without manager Terry Francona.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/free-agents-reds-must-pursue-offseason">The Reds bench boss</a> went home prior to the start of the game as he is battling flu symptoms. The illness is working its way through the Cincinnati lockerroom and several players have been impacted in the past week. Since Francona is not around, bench coach Freddie Benavides is managing the team in his absence.</p><p>Benavides was forced to go home earlier in the week when he was feeling the effects of the flu.</p><p>The Reds had a great chance to win the opener of the series Friday night. They loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth inning when they were trailing 5-4. However, they were not able to get the tying run home as New York reliever Edwin Diaz simply shut down the offense and did not allow the Reds to force the game into extra innings.</p><p>The Reds sent pitcher Brady Singer to the mound Saturday night in an attempt to square the series.</p><h2><b>Reds need a hot streak to get back into the Wild Card race</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Brady-Singer-took-the-mound-for-the-Reds-against-the-Mets.jpg"><figcaption>Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Friday night loss to the Mets was not typical of the way <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-crushes-blue-jays-comeback-attempt-walk-off">the Reds</a> have been playing. Normally, their offense produces when it has excellent scoring opportunities., but the pitching lets the team down.</p><p>The hitting failed to produce the hit that would have tied or won the game for the Reds. The Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Mets are in the National League’s three Wild Card slots. The San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks and the Reds are hoping to chase them down. The Reds are six games behind the Mets in the final Wild Card spot.</p><p>While the Reds don’t have a big slugger, they are depending on shortstop Elly De La Cruz and 1st baseman Spencer Steer to come up with the key hits.</p><p>De La Cruz has 19 home runs and 78 runs batted in while slashing <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/team/stats/_/name/cin/table/batting/sort/homeRuns/dir/desc">.268/.337/.447</a>. Steer has 17 home runs and 64 RBI while slashing .238/.307/.400.</p><p>De La Cruz is one of the top base stealers in the sport. He has stolen 32 bases to this point in the season.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Terry Francona isn’t managing Reds vs. Mets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/free-agents-reds-must-pursue-offseason');   ga('set', 'title', '3 free agents Reds must pursue in offseason');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/3-free-agents-Reds-must-pursue-in-offseason.jpg"></figure><h1>3 free agents Reds must pursue in offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-05T05:02:44-07:00">September 5th, 5:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-05T05:03:57-07:00">September 5th, 5:03am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy is a Senior Editor at ClutchPoints, with expertise in MLB, NHL and golf. Chris graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds enter a huge series against the New York Mets, five games back of the final playoff spot. They would need to sweep the Amazins and get some help down the stretch to make the postseason. But <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-terry-francona-stat-fire-up-cincinnati-fans">Terry Francona’s squad is on the doorstep</a> and has the young talent to break through. Who should the Reds go after in MLB free agency to bolster their team this offseason?</p><p>The Reds are one of many teams in MLB that do not spend a lot of money in the offseason. That is one reason why Nick Martinez is likely gone, as they have young pitchers breaking into the league and dominating the rotation. So, they won’t spend money to keep Martinez. That should open $21 million to <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/yearly" rel="noopener">spend on the roster</a> next year, which is currently going to Martinez.</p><p>Who should the Reds spend that money on next offseason? They need some reinforcements to get over the hump, and free agency is where they will find them.</p><h2><b>Trent Grisham cashes in on an elite season</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Trent-Grisham-with-NY-Yankees.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Centerfielder <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-trent-grisham-grand-slam-vs-braves">Trent Grisham has had an incredible season with the New York Yankees</a> this year. From relative anonymity to a 30-homer season in The Bronx, Grisham is hitting unrestricted free agency at the perfect time. His centerfield defense is not as strong as it once was, but his bat is perfect for the Reds.</p><p>Grisham would not command the salary that his teammate Cody Bellinger will, assuming he opts out of his contract. The Yankees should prioritize Bellinger over Grisham, which leaves the outfielder available for the Reds. They could use another outfield bat, and this one will fit under their salary constraints.</p><h2><b>Will the Reds keep Zac Littell?</b></h2><p>The Reds pushed some chips in at the trade deadline, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-cincinnati-lands-al-righty-trade-1-hurdle-remains">picking up Zac Littell from the Tampa Bay Rays</a>. He has been solid in Cincinnati, with a 4.78 ERA in six appearances. With Hunter Greene and Chase Burns at the top of the rotation and Martinez likely leaving, they could use a veteran at the back end. Littell could be the perfect fit, especially if he has a solid September.</p><p>The Reds were likely reluctant to trade their prospects at the trade deadline because they have spent so little in free agency. So, they should keep Littell on a reasonable deal. He is not a big name that will command a large salary, so he could be a perfect fit in Cincinnati.</p><h2><b>Take a big swing with Pete Alonso</b></h2><p>If the Reds really want to throw their chips on the table in the National League playoff race, they would sign first baseman Pete Alonso. He did not get the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-pete-alonso-returns-mets-54-million-contract-free-agency">long-term, big-money contract he wanted last year, so he returned to the Mets</a> on a short-term deal. Alonso is having another great season, which could lead to an opt-out in the offseason.</p><p>The Reds are likely not going to pony up the money to sign Alonso this offseason. And if they are willing to do that, their top priority should be extending Elly De La Cruz instead. But if the slugger is signing another short-term deal, the Reds need to make a serious offer to him. Great American Ballpark is a hitter-friendly stadium, which would be great for Alonso’s home-run stroke.</p><p>2The Reds have elite young pitching, some great position players, and a Hall-of-Fame manager. But those pieces will not be enough to make a deep playoff run in 2026. They will need to make significant additions in MLB free agency this offseason, and could even take a big swing with Pete Alonso.</p><p>Who do you think the Reds should sign this offseason?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 free agents Reds must pursue in offseason

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-francisco-alvarez-injury-reds-series');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mets making big Francisco Alvarez injury move in time for Reds series');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Francisco-Alvarez.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Ross-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Mets making big Francisco Alvarez injury move in time for Reds series</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-04T19:32:36-07:00">September 4th, 7:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-04T19:32:36-07:00">September 4th, 7:32pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Mets are making a critical move ahead of a pivotal weekend. As part of their ongoing playoff push, the club is set to activate <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-crucial-francisco-alvarez-injury-update">catcher Francisco Alvarez from the injured list</a> on Friday, just in time for a crucial series against the Cincinnati Reds with Wild Card implications.</p><p>The Venezuelan catcher has been sidelined since August 18 with a UCL sprain in his right thumb. The injury arrived at a tough time, as the 23-year-old was one of the Mets’ hottest hitters before landing on the IL. Now, after a five-game rehab stint with Triple-A Syracuse, he’s set to return to the Mets lineup for the opener in Cincinnati at Great American Ballpark.</p><p>The NY Post’s Mike Puma took to X (formerly Twitter) to share the news, reporting that the 23-year-old catcher had completed his assignment and <a href="https://x.com/NYPost_Mets/status/1963769724501672326" rel="noopener">would be activated</a> for the series.</p><p>“Francisco Alvarez will be activated from the IL tomorrow, according to a source. Returning from Syracuse.”</p><p>Before the injury, Alvarez was surging at the plate, hitting .326 with 3 home runs and 11 RBI in his last 15 games. His power presence has been sorely missed in a Mets lineup that has struggled since mid-August. Without him, the team has batted just .245 and averaged 4.3 runs per game — a stat that could shift quickly with his return.</p><p>The impact of this move stretches beyond the batting order. Alvarez’s return allows manager Carlos Mendoza to reset his catching rotation and strengthens the team defensively. The likely roster move will see backup Hayden Senger optioned back to Syracuse after going just 4-for-23 during the backstop’s absence.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-juan-soto-september-quote-tigers">For a Mets team currently holding the final Wild Card spot</a>, this series against the Reds — who sit just five games behind — is one of the biggest of the season. Whether Alvarez picks up where he left off or needs time to ramp back up, his presence adds much-needed stability, leadership, and star power to a lineup that has lacked consistency. With the playoff race tightening, his return could be the spark that defines the stretch run and keeps October baseball alive in Queens.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mets making big Francisco Alvarez injury move in time for Reds series

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-cincinnati-modern-era-lowpoint-collapse-blue-jays');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds hit modern era lowpoint in collapse vs. Blue Jays');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Cincinnati-Reds-second-baseman-Matt-McLain-reacts-to-striking-out.jpg"><figcaption>© Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds hit modern era lowpoint in collapse vs. Blue Jays</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-03T22:23:59-07:00">September 3rd, 10:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-03T22:23:59-07:00">September 3rd, 10:23pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-los-angeles-new-125-year-franchise-mark-pitching-reds">Cincinnati Reds suffered a devastating loss</a> to the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night at Great American Ball Park, as Toronto completed the series sweep with a 13-9 victory. Cincinnati squandered a five-run lead in the second inning and became the only MLB team in the modern era to allow a run in seven consecutive innings after <a href="https://x.com/OptaSTATS/status/1963428145597476897" rel="noopener">holding a 5+ run lead</a> at home and still lose, according to OptaSTATS.</p><p>The Reds started strong against Blue Jays starter Shane Bieber, scoring five times in the second inning. Jose Trevino opened the inning with a two-run single with one out and the bases loaded, and Matt McLain followed with an RBI single. Noelvi Marte then cleared the bases with a two-out double, putting Cincinnati up 5-0. Reds starter Zack Littell got off to a strong start with four strikeouts in his first four outs, but he quickly ran into trouble afterward.</p><p>Toronto began chipping away in the third inning as George Springer hit a solo home run, his 27th of the season, jumpstarting the comeback. Daulton Varsho and Alejandro Kirk hit back-to-back homers in the fourth, followed by Addison Barger’s two-run homer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s solo shot in the fifth, giving the Blue Jays their first lead at 6-5. Bieber, despite allowing five earned runs in the second, settled down to retire 11 straight batters over his next four innings, ultimately earning the win (2-1) in his third start back from Tommy John surgery.</p><p>The Reds’ bullpen struggled to contain the Blue Jays’ relentless offense. Relievers Nick Martinez, Lyon Richardson, Yosver Zulueta, and Zach Maxwell allowed eight runs over 4.2 innings, including a four-run eighth inning featuring two walks, two doubles, a sacrifice fly, and a fielding error by Spencer Steer. While the Reds managed to score four runs over three innings after Bieber exited, it was insufficient to reclaim the lead.</p><p>Individually, Cincinnati’s bright spot included Noelvi Marte, who went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and extended his hitting streak to 19 of 23 games, raising his average to .292 with an .844 OPS. However, Eugenio De La Cruz’s seven-game hitting streak ended as he went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. Littell allowed four home runs in 4 1/3 innings, marking his fourth game this season yielding three or more homers.</p><p>The Reds (70-70) have now dropped ten of their last 13 games and remains five games behind the New York Mets <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-will-clinch-nl-wild-card-spot">for the final National League Wild Card spot.</a> They will look to regroup during Thursday’s off-day before hosting the Mets for a crucial three-game series starting Friday at Great American Ball Park, where even a sweep would leave them two games back in the Wild Card race.</p><p>The Blue Jays, meanwhile, improved to 81-59, hitting 11 homers and scoring 29 runs over the three-game series. George Springer and Daulton Varsho each hit three homers, while Alejandro Kirk, Addison Barger, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Ty France contributed multi-hit performances, heading into a pivotal series against the New York Yankees.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds hit modern era lowpoint in collapse vs. Blue Jays

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-crushes-blue-jays-comeback-attempt-walk-off');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds crush Blue Jays comeback attempt with walk-off');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Reds-Noelvi-Marte-celebrates-with-Elly-De-La-Cruz.jpg"><figcaption>Katie Stratman-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds crush Blue Jays comeback attempt with walk-off</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-01T14:32:45-07:00">September 1st, 2:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-01T14:32:57-07:00">September 1st, 2:32pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>No team needed to flip the calendar to September more than the Cincinnati Reds (70-68). Despite losing eight out of their last 10 games in August, Terry Francona’s club entered the final month of the season with an opportunity to reset and regain momentum in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-dodgers-sweep-streak-ends">National League Wild Card race</a>. Anguish seemed destined to pervade Great American Ball Park once again in Monday’s Labor Day battle with the Toronto Blue Jays, but this underdog embodied the spirit of the holiday and tirelessly earned a desperately-needed 5-4 victory.</p><p>Reds fans anxiously sat through a ninth inning that perfectly encapsulated their team’s roller coaster of a campaign. Cincinnati entered the final frame with a 2-1 lead, only to watch it quickly vanish after Bo Bichette and Daulton Varsho hit back-to-back home runs off closer Emilio Pagan. Facing another gut-punch to their postseason hopes, the Reds regrouped and imitated the Blue Jays’ comeback ways in the bottom of the ninth.</p><p>Ke’Bryan Hayes and Matt McLain each singled, TJ Friedl made it a 4-3 game with a ground-rule double and emerging right fielder/third baseman Noelvi Marte notched <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1962608350639612167" rel="noopener">the walk-off base hit</a> through the left side of the infield. Tommy Nance and Brendon Little could not solidify the Jays comeback, as John Schneider’s bullpen once again faltered. The Reds nearly imploded and should have secured victory 20 minutes earlier, and yet, this thrilling triumph could actually be better in the long run.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Noelvi Marte walks it off for the <a href="https://twitter.com/Reds?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Reds</a> in a WILD 9th inning in Cincinnati! 😳 <a href="https://t.co/fhrnTUoJzE">pic.twitter.com/fhrnTUoJzE</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1962608350639612167?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Cincinnati is still extremely vulnerable heading down the final stretch, but it is also teeming with adrenaline after surviving a tense showdown with the American League East leaders. It is essential that this squad leaves this series with momentum and a decent shot at catching New York. The Reds still trail the Mets by four games for the final Wild Card slot, a deficit they can cut into or potentially erase when the two teams collide later this week.</p><p>If there is anything that can propel Cincy before these season-defining three nights in GABP, a late-game resurrection is probably it. This group would not have even taken a lead into the ninth if not for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/red-news-ace-hunter-greene-embracing-wild-card-push">ace Hunter Greene</a>. The terrific right-hander allowed only one run on five hits in six innings. He struck out seven batters and only walked one, putting the Reds in position to defeat the Blue Jays.</p><p>Cincinnati did not make it easy on itself, but thanks to Marte, Hayes and the rest of this scrappy lineup, it snatched a W right back from Toronto. Now this looks like <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-terry-francona-stat-fire-up-cincinnati-fans">a Francona-managed club</a>. The Reds must stay on the attack on Tuesday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds crush Blue Jays comeback attempt with walk-off

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-terry-francona-stat-fire-up-cincinnati-fans');   ga('set', 'title', 'The Terry Francona stat that should fire up Reds fans');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Cincinnati-Reds-manager-Terry-Francona-with-the-team.jpg"><figcaption>Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>The Terry Francona stat that should fire up Reds fans</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-01T13:52:14-07:00">September 1st, 1:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-01T13:52:14-07:00">September 1st, 1:52pm</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-will-clinch-nl-wild-card-spot">Reds are keeping their playoff hopes alive</a> with their latest win against the Toronto Blue Jays, and there is a chance that they can sneak in with some help. One reason they should keep hope is not just because of their play, but <a href="https://x.com/BNightengale/status/1962609002405339151" rel="noopener">the track record</a> of manager Terry Francona, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.</p><p>“In a battle of bullpen meltdowns, the Cincinnati Reds pull out wild one, 5-4, to keep slim playoff hopes alive. Reds manager Terry Francona’s record in final month of a season with a new team: 1997 Phillies 18-12, 2004 Red Sox 21-11, 2013 Guardians 21-6, 2025 Reds 1-0,” Nightengale wrote on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>The Reds are now 70-68, and they entered their game trailing by four games for the third spot in the NL Wild Card. At this point, they’re going to have to keep winning and get some help from teams above them.</p><p>There are some players on the team who it feels like making it to the Wild Card would mean a lot, and one of them is ace Hunter Green, who signed a $53 million deal in 2023.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/red-news-ace-hunter-greene-embracing-wild-card-push">Green recently spoke about his play</a> and what it would mean for the Reds to get into the postseason.</p><p>“I understand the situation I’m in, and I embrace it,” Greene said, according to USA Today Sports. “This means a lot. I think we all work extremely hard to be put in those positions. With the signing of the extension, I made a promise to myself and the organization that I would try to push us as far as we could. So it’s just understanding that role and embracing that and trying to do the best I can to make this come true.”</p><p>The Reds have what it takes to make a run that they need, and if they can close out this series against the Blue Jays on a high note, things could work out in their favor.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The Terry Francona stat that should fire up Reds fans

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-cincinnati-calling-no-1-prospect-blue-jays-series');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds calling up No. 1 prospect before Blue Jays series');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Sal-Stewart-with-Reds.jpg"><figcaption> Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds calling up No. 1 prospect before Blue Jays series</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-31T14:26:40-07:00">August 31st, 2:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-31T14:26:40-07:00">August 31st, 2:26pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy is a Senior Editor at ClutchPoints, with expertise in MLB, NHL and golf. Chris graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds lost two of three to the St Louis Cardinals over the weekend, falling<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/red-news-ace-hunter-greene-embracing-wild-card-push"> four games behind the New York Mets for the final National League Wild Card spot</a>. After the Los Angeles Dodgers swept Cincy, things were looking bleak in the Queen City. But after a win and a Mets loss, the Reds called up top prospect Sal Stewart to <a href="https://x.com/jonmorosi/status/1962252633369960614" rel="noopener">inject energy into the team.</a></p><p>“Source: Sal Stewart will be called up by the Reds,” MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported.</p><p>The Reds have played their final game of August, so this could be their first move of September roster expansions. Stewart has played third base and second base in the minor leagues, which will be interesting for Terry Francona to navigate. He likely won’t bench Ke’Bryan Hayes, who is the best defender at third in the league. And <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-terry-francona-drops-matt-mclain-take-beating-cardinals">Matt McLain finally turned things around at second.</a></p><p>Stewart has been dominant offensively in the minor leagues. Since his call-up to AAA Louisville, he has played 38 games with a 1.023 OPS, ten homers, and 36 RBI. He has also added four stolen bases with just one failed attempt. His dynamic presence in the lineup could change things for the Reds.</p><p>Everything from Queens to the Queen City is focused on the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-will-clinch-nl-wild-card-spot">series between the Reds and Mets from September 5-7</a>. Cincy should give Stewart some run in the upcoming set against the Toronto Blue Jays. They will need him to dominate the new pitching the Mets have brought up in Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong.</p><p>The Reds have an opportunity to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and the second time since 2013. Calling up Stewart shows their commitment to making a true September push. Elly De La Cruz has not had the power he usually deploys, so a new bat is much needed.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds calling up No. 1 prospect before Blue Jays series

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-terry-francona-drops-matt-mclain-take-beating-cardinals');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds’ Terry Francona drops ‘terrific’ Matt McLain take after beating Cardinals');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Reds-manager-Terry-Francona_02b14a.jpg"><figcaption>© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds’ Terry Francona drops ‘terrific’ Matt McLain take after beating Cardinals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-31T13:16:35-07:00">August 31st, 1:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-31T13:17:05-07:00">August 31st, 1:17pm</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/1-disappointing-player-reds-must-trade-in-offseason">Cincinnati Reds haven’t had the season that many fans hoped for</a>. Cincinnati though is showing no signs of quitting, after posting a win Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Reds posted a 7-4 victory over the Cardinals.</p><p>One of the stars for Cincinnati Sunday was shortstop Matt McLain, who hit a solo home run in the game. McLain <a href="https://x.com/CharlieG__/status/1962237005883977846" rel="noopener">got the tip of the cap</a> afterward from his manager, Terry Francona.</p><p>“That was terrific. He had two walks early, which is always a good sign. He just has been a little more aggressive to the ball. That’s a really good thing for him right now,” Francona said, per team reporter Charlie Goldsmith.</p><p>The Reds are above .500 following the victory. Cincinnati is 69-68 this season, good for third in the National League Central.</p><p>“We played good today. Got to keep doing that day after day,” McLain said.</p><p>The victory was just Cincinnati’s second in their last 10 games. Reds fans hope the team can build a winning streak in the final month of the regular season.</p><h2><b>The Reds stormed back on Sunday to defeat the Cardinals</b></h2><p>St. Louis scored two runs in the top of the first inning on Sunday. The Reds were able to chip away at that lead, by scoring three runs in the bottom of the second. Cincinnati allowed just two more runs in the last eight innings of the game.</p><p>“Baseball beats you down sometimes, but you’ve got to keep working through it,” McLain added.</p><p>This season, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-matt-mclain-terry-francona-winning-baseball-play">McLain has had his ups and downs</a>. He has now homered in his last two games. The Reds slugger is hitting .222 with 13 home runs and 42 RBIs on the season.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-matt-mclain-shoulder-surgery-cost-entire-2024-season">young Reds player missed the entire 2024 season</a> due to a shoulder injury that required surgery. He has moved around the batting order this year as the Reds have tried to get him producing offense on a regular basis.</p><p>The Reds start a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. The Blue Jays lead the American League East.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds’ Terry Francona drops ‘terrific’ Matt McLain take after beating Cardinals

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-linked-pursuit-pete-alonso-mets');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Reds linked to pursuit of Pete Alonso if he leaves Mets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Pete-Alonso-Reds-i.jpg"><figcaption>Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Reds linked to pursuit of Pete Alonso if he leaves Mets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-31T07:12:59-07:00">August 31st, 7:12am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-31T07:12:59-07:00">August 31st, 7:12am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds have leaned heavily on their young pitching staff this season, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/red-news-ace-hunter-greene-embracing-wild-card-push">led by Cincinnati ace</a> Hunter Greene. However, the club’s lack of consistent power hitting remains a glaring problem. That weakness has fueled speculation that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/1-disappointing-player-reds-must-trade-in-offseason">Reds could make a bold move this offseason</a>, with free agent slugger Pete Alonso <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2025/08/31/mlb-september-playoff-race-mvp-favorites/85916446007/" rel="noopener">emerging as a potential fit</a> if he leaves the New York Mets.</p><p>Cincinnati’s rotation has been among the best in the National League, ranking near the top in ERA and WAR. Greene has returned from injury to dominate down the stretch, posting a 2.81 ERA with 94 strikeouts in 77 innings. His presence has stabilized the Reds’ postseason hopes and given the team a reliable anchor every fifth day. Teammates praise his impact, with veteran Brent Suter calling him a “post-deadline acquisition” for the energy he brings.</p><p>Yet the offensive struggles remain undeniable. The Reds have endured 29 games with only one run or fewer and own a 3-48 record when trailing after six innings. For all of Greene’s brilliance, Cincinnati’s inability to produce runs consistently has kept the team from taking a stronger hold in the playoff race.</p><h2><b>Pete Alonso could change the equation for the Reds</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Pete-Alonso-Reds-ii.jpg"><figcaption>Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>That is where Alonso could change the equation. The 30-year-old first baseman hit 34 home runs with 88 RBI last season, playing in all 162 games for New York. He followed it up with an improved campaign this year, batting .265 with 29 homers and 106 RBI while focusing on contact to complement his power. With his durability and track record, Alonso would immediately give Cincinnati the middle-of-the-order presence it has lacked.</p><p>National insiders have connected the Reds to Alonso, though they acknowledge it may be a long shot. Cincinnati is not often viewed as a destination for marquee free agents. Still, the dimensions of Great American Ball Park could make it an attractive landing spot for a slugger looking to boost his value.</p><p>The Reds front office faces critical decisions this winter. Greene and the rotation have proven they can carry the pitching load, but until the lineup adds a proven power bat, Cincinnati’s push to return to October baseball may fall short.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Reds linked to pursuit of Pete Alonso if he leaves Mets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/red-news-ace-hunter-greene-embracing-wild-card-push');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds ace Hunter Greene embracing Wild Card push');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hunter-Greene-on-August-25-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds ace Hunter Greene embracing Wild Card push</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-29T09:19:28-07:00">August 29th, 9:19am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-29T09:19:28-07:00">August 29th, 9:19am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-will-clinch-nl-wild-card-spot">Cincinnati Reds in contention for the MLB Playoffs Wild Card</a> spot, there is no doubt that this is the most crucial part of the season for them. While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-cincinnati-tyler-stephenson-il-playoffs">the Reds make a playoff push</a>, the players need to have the right mindset to propel them into the postseason, as pitcher Hunter Greene gives insight into how he’s feeling.</p><p>Cincinnati’s ace has had a frustrating season, mostly due to the two-month stay he had on the injured list, but so far this year, he has recorded a 2.81 ERA to go along with 94 strikeouts and a 5-4 record in 14 starts. The team enters the most grueling, but significant stretch of the season, and success is needed if they want to punch their ticket to the playoffs.</p><p>Starting Friday, they play a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals, another against the Toronto Blue Jays, and again against the New York Mets, which is the most vital since the Reds contend with them for the last wild card spot. For Greene, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2025/08/29/hunter-greene-cincinnati-reds-nl-wild-card-standings/85859236007/" rel="noopener">this is the type of situation where he can prove</a> why he was worth the $53 million deal signed in 2023.</p><p>“I understand the situation I’m in, and I embrace it,” Greene said, according to USA Today Sports. “This means a lot. I think we all work extremely hard to be put in those positions. With the signing of the extension, I made a promise to myself and the organization that I would try to push us as far as we could. So it’s just understanding that role and embracing that and trying to do the best I can to make this come true.”</p><h2><b>Hunter Greene and the Reds’ pitching hope to propel team into playoffs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hunter-Greene-with-Cincinnati-Reds-5.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>As some could <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/1-disappointing-player-reds-must-trade-in-offseason">consider the Reds a disappointing team</a> this season, the ball club has a chance for the narrative to be forgotten and excel in their upcoming slate. If there is one aspect that will help their chances, it’s their pitching, which has been effective.</p><p>Entering Wednesday, their starting rotation, headlined by Greene, has a 3.79 ERA, which ranks fourth in the National League, but there’s no denying the offense needs to be better. Per USA Today Sports, Cincinnati has scored no more than one run in 29 games this season, and when trailing after six innings, the team is a dreadful 3-48.</p><p>While the offense needs to improve, Greene is ready to showcase his immense skills.</p><p>“Obviously, I can’t control what’s in the past,” Greene said. “Now it’s just trying to put my best foot forward and to continue to put us in a good position. It’s a testament to the rest of the guys in this clubhouse that they were able to continue to put up a really good fight to put us in this position.”</p><p>The Reds are 68-66, putting them four games back out of the final wild card spot held by New York.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds ace Hunter Greene embracing Wild Card push

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/1-disappointing-player-reds-must-trade-in-offseason');   ga('set', 'title', '1 disappointing player Reds must trade in offseason');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/1-disappointing-player-Reds-must-trade-in-offseason.jpg"></figure><h1>1 disappointing player Reds must trade in offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-28T06:15:58-07:00">August 28th, 6:15am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-28T06:15:58-07:00">August 28th, 6:15am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy is a Senior Editor at ClutchPoints, with expertise in MLB, NHL and golf. Chris graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds were just <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-los-angeles-new-125-year-franchise-mark-pitching-reds">swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers</a> to fall 4.5 games out of the final NL Wild Card spot. While that does not mean their season is over, it may be time to look ahead to the offseason. The Reds should be active in the trade market this offseason, just like they were last year, picking up Gavin Lux. But after a disappointing campaign for the former Dodger, Lux is one player who should be on his way out.</p><p>The Reds picked up Lux for their 14th prospect, Mike Sirota, and a competitive balance pick. That was a high price to pay for Lux, but they believed he would be an improvement on Jonathan India. He has been better than India this year, but his defense has been lackluster at best. According to Baseball Savant, Lux has a -7 Outs Above Average, the <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/gavin-lux-666158?stats=statcast-r-fielding-mlb" rel="noopener">worst mark of his career</a>. That has taken his bWAR down to -0.1 despite his .732 OPS.</p><p>Lux has one year of team control left before hitting free agency in 2027. The Reds would be better off trading him, picking up another prospect, and using his roster spot and salary to improve in free agency.<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/kebryan-hayes-trade-grades-reds-pirates"> Cincinnati just traded for Ke’Bryan Hayes</a>, who is due $42 million for the rest of the decade. A long-term deal seems unlikely for Lux, so picking up something could be worth the trade.</p><p>The Reds leaned into defense with the Hayes trade, and if that is Terry Francona’s plan, Lux has to go. They have tried him at many positions this year, none of them with any success. And Miguel Andujar has come in and been a better designated hitter than the World Series champ.</p><p>The Reds should make this trade to take advantage of Elly De La Cruz’s prime.</p><h2><b>The Reds can find their advantage on defense</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Gavin-Lux-with-Cincinnati-Reds.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Many of the Reds’ core pieces are solid defenders, with Elly De La Cruz being a notable exception on the analytic front. While the offense makes up for it with De La Cruz, that has not been the case for Lux. They cannot go another season with this situation playing out, especially given who is waiting in the wings.</p><p>The Reds’ top prospect is Sal Stewart, a third baseman who is <a href="https://www.milb.com/player/sal-stewart-701398?stats=career-r-fielding-minors&amp;year=2025" rel="noopener">crushing baseballs for the</a> AAA Louisville Bats. In 35 games, he has 10 homers and 30 RBI, good enough for a 1.055 OPS. But Stewart has been blocked defensively by Hayes, who is one of the best third-base gloves in the league. Freeing up the flex spot in their lineup that Lux takes opens up the door for Stewart.</p><p>Part of the Reds’ struggles this year has been courtesy of Matt McLain. After an excellent rookie season, .864 OPS and 3.2 bWAR, he missed all of the 2024 campaign. The second baseman has not been himself this year, with a .627 OPS and -0.5 bWAR. Stewart has also played second base in the minors, so he can be a utility glove and elite bat for the Reds next season.</p><p>Then, with the money they would save by not going to arbitration with Lux, the Reds could bolster their bullpen or add a defensive outfielder. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-cincinnati-claims-hunter-renfroe-harrison-bader-waivers-playoff-push">Harrison Bader was a disaster in his first stint with the Reds</a> in 2023, but he would be the perfect fit in Cincinnati if his mutual option is declined in Philadelphia. If they don’t want to go that direction, Cedric Mullins could be an interesting fit. His defense has taken a step back, but he could be a solid bat for Cincy.</p><p>The Reds have a path to being a National League playoff squad in 2026, especially if Kyle Tucker leaves for the American League. They have to trade Gavin Lux to make it happen, however, as it opens up opportunities for free agents and their top prospect.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

1 disappointing player Reds must trade in offseason

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-los-angeles-new-125-year-franchise-mark-pitching-reds');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers set new 125-year franchise mark with insane pitching vs. Reds');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Los-Angeles-Dodgers-starting-pitcher-Shohei-Ohtani-delivers-a-pitch.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Dodgers set new 125-year franchise mark with insane pitching vs. Reds</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-28T00:48:21-07:00">August 28th, 12:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-28T00:51:20-07:00">August 28th, 12:51am</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-dodgers-sweep-streak-ends">Los Angeles Dodgers made history Wednesday night, defeating the Cincinnati Reds 5-1</a> at Dodger Stadium and completing their first sweep of the season. The night was particularly remarkable on the mound, as Dodgers pitchers <a href="https://x.com/SlangsOnSports/status/1960912034930790560" rel="noopener">combined for 19 strikeouts</a> in a nine-inning game, the most in at least the last 125 seasons, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-records-first-win-la-personal-best-effort-vs-reds">Shohei Ohtani earned his first win as a Dodger</a>, pitching in front of his own commemorative bobblehead night celebrating his 2024 50-50 season. In his longest outing yet for Los Angeles, Ohtani threw five innings, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out a season-high nine batters.</p><p>He worked 87 pitches, with 53 strikes, and showcased his full repertoire, including a curveball he deployed 23 times, more than double his usage in his first 10 starts with the Dodgers. His four-seamer touched 100.3 mph four times, and he induced 14 swinging strikes on the night, with five coming on his sweeper and four more on his curveball.</p><p>Shohei Ohtani’s start was not without early drama. In a laborious second inning, he issued back-to-back walks and threw two wild pitches but escaped the jam with three strikeouts. The only run he surrendered came on Noelvi Marte’s third-inning solo homer, his third allowed this season. Ohtani retired the final eight batters he faced.</p><p>The Dodgers’ offense provided crucial support, especially in a four-run fourth inning that turned the game in L.A.’s favor. Kike Hernandez, filling in for the injured Freddie Freeman, had a two-run single up the middle, followed by a two-run seeing-eye single from prospect Dalton Rushing after an intentional walk to Miguel Rojas reloaded the bases. Michael Conforto added a solo homer in the eighth, snapping an 83-plate-appearance drought and providing insurance runs.</p><p>Dodgers relievers Jack Dreyer, Justin Wrobleski, Edgardo Henriquez, and Blake Treinen all contributed scoreless innings, combining for 10 strikeouts and maintaining the dominance initiated by Ohtani.</p><p>Opposing pitcher Nick Lodolo (8-7, 3.22 ERA) started strong for Cincinnati, retiring the first nine batters he faced and striking out five. However, the Dodgers capitalized on a series of well-placed hits and some fortunate bounces, particularly in the fourth inning, turning a perfect outing into a troublesome frame for the Reds. Despite late-inning opportunities, Cincinnati failed to convert with runners in scoring position, going 0-for-6 in those situations.</p><p>The victory pushed the Dodgers’ winning streak to four games, improving their record to 77-57 and giving them a two-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the National League West. The sweep also was the Reds’ first of the season, dropping them to 68-66 and 4.5 games out of the Wild Card race.</p><p>The Dodgers will have an off day on Thursday before welcoming the Arizona Diamondbacks for a three-game series starting Friday at 7:10 p.m. PT on SportsNet LA and MLB Network.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers set new 125-year franchise mark with insane pitching vs. Reds

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-dodgers-sweep-streak-ends');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds season-long feat shattered in loss to Dodgers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Reds-Elly-De-La-Cruz-making-a-throw.jpg"><figcaption>Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds season-long feat shattered in loss to Dodgers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-27T22:32:28-07:00">August 27th, 10:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-27T22:32:28-07:00">August 27th, 10:32pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds’ streak of consistency came to a sudden end in Los Angeles. For the first time all season, Cincinnati was swept in a series, falling 5-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Wednesday’s finale at Chavez Ravine. The loss capped a three-game sweep that not only ended an impressive run, but also raised <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-cincinnati-tyler-stephenson-il-playoffs">real questions about the Reds playoff chances</a> as August winds down.</p><p>Entering the game, the Reds were the only team in Major League Baseball that had not been swept in a series this year. That distinction disappeared when Shohei Ohtani delivered a dominant outing on his bobblehead night, striking out nine over five innings for his first win with the Dodgers. Cincinnati’s bats were largely silenced, managing just one run on a solo homer by Noelvi Marte in the third inning.</p><p>USA Today’s Bob Nightengale took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to <a href="https://x.com/BNightengale/status/1960909322655031337" rel="noopener">spotlight the end</a> of Cincinnati’s unique run with a post that quickly gained attention.</p><p>“The Cincinnati Reds, for the first time this season, are swept in a series. They were the last MLB team to be swept this season, with the Dodgers ending their streak.”</p><p>The three-game sweep at the hands of Los Angeles was more than just a statistical blip—it highlighted mounting concerns for Cincinnati’s roster. Starter Nick Lodolo, making his first appearance since returning from the injured list, allowed four earned runs in fewer than five innings. The bullpen couldn’t hold the line, and the lineup failed in key situations, going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Shohei Ohtani provided nearly half of the Dodgers’ 19 total strikeouts—a season high for the club and a franchise record for a nine-inning game since at least 1901.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-cincinnati-makes-roster-moves-ahead-dodgers-matchup">The Reds losing streak now sits at three</a>, dropping their record to 68-66 and pushing them 4.5 games behind the final Wild Card spot in the National League. Marte’s recent power surge and Elly De La Cruz’s 31 stolen bases—among the top 10 in MLB—remain bright spots, but the margin for error is shrinking quickly.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds season-long feat shattered in loss to Dodgers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-cincinnati-makes-roster-moves-ahead-dodgers-matchup');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds make key roster moves ahead of Dodgers matchup');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Cincinnati-Reds-starting-pitcher-Nick-Lodolo.jpg"><figcaption>© Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds make key roster moves ahead of Dodgers matchup</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-27T12:33:14-07:00">August 27th, 12:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-27T12:33:14-07:00">August 27th, 12:33pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds kicked off their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 6-3 loss on Tuesday. Heading into the second game of the series, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-will-clinch-nl-wild-card-spot">Reds have their work cut out for them</a> again. Cincinnati and manager Terry Francona have to face Shohei Ohtani. Luckily for the Reds manager, he welcomes Nick Lodolo back to the lineup, sending Graham Ashcraft to the injured list.</p><p>Lodolo has not pitched since August 4 thanks to a blister on his throwing hand. Francona and the Reds did not want to take any chances with the starter, sending him to the IL. After more than three weeks away, though, Lodolo is ready to see game action again. Cincinnati replaced an injured Ashcraft with Lodolo, sending the <a href="https://x.com/Reds/status/1960780672764641697" rel="noopener">former to the IL</a>, according to their social media page.</p><p>“The Reds today activated from the 15-day injured list LHP Nick Lodolo and placed on the 15-day injured list, retro to 8/25, RHP Graham Ashcraft (right forearm strain),” the Reds announced.</p><p>Lodolo’s return gives Francona his first glimpse of a completely healthy starting rotation. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/when-reds-hunter-greene-will-return-to-rotation-from-long-injury-absence">Hunter Greene’s return to Cincinnati’s lineup</a> has given his team some much-needed motivation. Now, Lodolo is back to take on Ohtani and build momentum that the Reds can use to make the playoffs.</p><p>While Greene was out with his injury, Lodolo was Francona’s ace. His dominance on the mound is a big reason why Cincinnati was able to stay so close in the NL Wild Card race. Even without Ashcraft in the mix, the Reds are a popular dark horse pick when it comes to teams that could have an impact on the playoff picture this season.</p><p>Ashcraft will miss at least two weeks with his forearm strain. Despite that bad news, Cincinnati is excited to see what Lodolo can do in his return. If he comes back at the same level as when he left, the Reds could make things very interesting down the final stretch of the regular season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds make key roster moves ahead of Dodgers matchup

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-will-clinch-nl-wild-card-spot');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Reds will clinch NL Wild Card spot');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Why-Reds-will-clinch-NL-Wild-Card-spot.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Reds will clinch NL Wild Card spot</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-26T15:10:26-07:00">August 26th, 3:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-26T15:10:26-07:00">August 26th, 3:10pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy is a Senior Editor at ClutchPoints, with expertise in MLB, NHL and golf. Chris graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds enter Tuesday’s action 2.5 games out of the final National League Wild Card spot. They are chasing the New York Mets, who have faltered in the summer due to poor starting pitching. The good news for the Reds is that<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-hunter-greene-flummoxed-phillies-return-injury"> Hunter Greene leads an elite pitching staff</a> that can throw them to victory. All Cincy needs now is a hot September, and they can be in the postseason.</p><p>The Reds have not made the playoffs since the 2020 expanded postseason, with 2013 as their most recent appearance before that. On top of that, they have not won a postseason series since the 1995 National League Division Series. With a solid young core and a veteran at the helm in Terry Francona, they have a chance to end both of those droughts this year.</p><p>How will the Reds pass the Mets and make the playoffs?</p><h2><b>Hunter Greene leads an elite Reds rotation</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hunter-Greene-with-Cincinnati-Reds-5.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>If the Reds do make the postseason, they are going to be a hard team to beat in a three-game series. Hunter Greene has been solid since returning from injury, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-cincinnati-pitcher-huge-all-star-honor">Andrew Abbott made the All-Star team</a>, and Brady Singer has been a great trade pickup. The Mets, on the other hand, are calling up prospects in a desperate attempt to get any value out of their starting pitching.</p><p>Winning games 1-0 is not the ideal recipe for any team in any sport, but the Reds have the pitching staff to make a run. Their bullpen has not been excellent, but Emilio Pagan has been a solid closer this year. Length from the rotation is the biggest key to a huge September from the Reds and a playoff berth.</p><h2><b>Elly De La Cruz must turn things around</b></h2><p>The Reds have an elite shortstop in Elly De La Cruz, but he has not been that offensively of late. Since the All-Star Break, he has just one home run, 14 RBI, and a .657 OPS in 35 games. Cincy is 18-17 in that stretch, proving that they need their shortstop to make the playoffs. His season-long numbers are still in a good spot, a 3.5 bWAR and .799 OPS, but he needs a great September.</p><p>Unfortunately for the Reds, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.fcgi?id=delacel01&amp;year=Career&amp;t=b" rel="noopener">this has become a trend</a> for De La Cruz in his three-year career. He has an .848 OPS in 223 games in the first half of seasons in his career. In the second half, he’s at .693 in 167 games. If you drill down into just games played in September and October, he has a .682 OPS in 50 games, with just five home runs.</p><p>The Reds are not known to spend money in free agency, leading to a massive question surrounding De La Cruz when his team control expires in 2030. He has been a superstar for a team and a city in desperate need of one. He can take a huge leap forward with a historic September to get them into the postseason.</p><h2><b>Beat the Mets when given the opportunity</b></h2><p>Like most playoff races, this one will likely come down to a head-to-head matchup down the stretch. The Reds started the second half by taking two of three games in Queens. They get another opportunity at home, from September 5-7, and they must win at least two of those games. If they do, they will clinch the tiebreaker that could determine the outcome.</p><p>The Reds have home games against the St Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays leading into that set. They need to set up their rotation to have the best opportunity to win the Mets’ series. But they will also likely need to win the sets against the Cards and the Jays to keep pace with the Amazins.</p><p>That is where the Reds’ strength plays into their advantage. If Greene pitches against Toronto, they will have young flamethrower Chase Burns and Abbott to go against the Mets. That will be a key series that they need to win, potentially sweep, to make the postseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Reds will clinch NL Wild Card spot

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-mookie-betts-home-run-vs-reds');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers’ Mookie Betts makes incredible grabs before punishing Reds with HR');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Mookie-Betts-celebrates-Walk-Off.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Dodgers’ Mookie Betts makes incredible grabs before punishing Reds with HR</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-25T22:08:47-07:00">August 25th, 10:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-25T22:08:47-07:00">August 25th, 10:08pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Dodgers earned a convincing 7-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night at Chavez Ravine, led by a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-mookie-betts-drops-defiant-take-success-at-shortstop">two-way performance from Mookie Betts</a> that stood out during an otherwise uneven August, pushing the club a game over .500 for the month.</p><p>Betts provided a spark both in the field and at the plate, making a standout defensive play and adding a home run in the seventh inning. His efforts helped Los Angeles maintain a slim 0.5-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the tight NL West standings.</p><p>The highlights peaked in the seventh inning when Betts made a backhanded diving stop at shortstop, quickly popped up, and fired a laser to first base to complete a stunning out. Blake Harris of Thinking Blue posted the play on X (formerly known as Twitter), <a href="https://x.com/BlakeHHarris/status/1960190944520647085" rel="noopener">capturing the moment</a> with a simple reaction.</p><p>“MOOKIE BETTS ARE YOU SERIOUS”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">MOOKIE BETTS ARE YOU SERIOUS </p><p> <a href="https://t.co/oCN25WutW2">pic.twitter.com/oCN25WutW2</a></p><p>— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlakeHHarris/status/1960190944520647085?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Minutes later, the veteran delivered again at the plate. He turned on a 2-1 pitch from reliever Sam Moll and launched his 14th home run of the season — a solo shot pulled into the left field seats. Dodger Analytics <a href="https://x.com/DodgerNerd/status/1960192687908528362" rel="noopener">posted a full breakdown</a> of the blast along with video of the swing.</p><p>“Mookie Betts HR #14</p><p>🔹 Exit Velo: 101 MPH</p><p>🔹 Launch Angle: 22</p><p>🔹353 FEET</p><p>20/30 HR Ballparks”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mookie Betts HR 💣 #14<br>🔹 Exit Velo: 101 MPH <br>🔹 Launch Angle: 22<br>🔹353 FEET</p><p>20/30 HR Ballparks<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dodgers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dodgers</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsgoDodgers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsgoDodgers</a></p><p> <a href="https://t.co/GSN7EGEid8">pic.twitter.com/GSN7EGEid8</a></p><p>— Dodger Analytics (@DodgerNerd) <a href="https://twitter.com/DodgerNerd/status/1960192687908528362?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-mookie-betts-finally-plays-hero-sweep-padres">blast from Betts</a> pushed the lead to 6-0. On the season, he’s now batting .250 with 14 home runs, 58 RBIs, 79 runs scored, and 22 stolen bases through 121 games. While his power numbers and average were down during the early months of the season, the veteran has shown improved form since the All-Star break. Over his last 10 games, Betts is hitting .316 with 12 hits, 2 home runs, 3 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. His exit velocity remains below his career peak, but this recent stretch points to a possible return to form as the postseason race heats up.</p><p>Dodgers right-hander starter Emmet Sheehan pitched seven strong innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out 10. He threw 66 of his 96 pitches for strikes. The bullpen closed it out with two clean frames, and the Dodgers shut out the Reds to open the three-game series at Dodger Stadium.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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