<!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>

Sal
Stewart

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