<!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-rumors-hunter-greene-could-traded-find-offense');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds rumors: Hunter Greene could be traded to find offense');   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/2025/10/Hunter-Greene.jpg"><figcaption>© Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds rumors: Hunter Greene could be traded to find offense</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-14T14:45:04-07:00">October 14th, 2:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-14T14:45:42-07:00">October 14th, 2:45pm</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/reds-news-cincinnati-clinches-playoff-berth-hunting-down-mets">Cincinnati Reds had a solid 2025 season</a>, that ended in a National League Wild Card series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Cincinnati is looking at how to reshape their roster for 2026. The Reds <a href="https://www.mlb.com/reds/news/reds-questions-ahead-of-2026-season" rel="noopener">could end up trading</a> star pitcher Hunter Greene, per a MLB.com report.</p><p>“Even after a disappointing postseason debut vs. the Dodgers in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series, Greene still could be an attractive trade chip in the Reds’ pockets,” Mark Sheldon wrote. “Moving him would free up salary to sign a bat this offseason or bring back a hitter in return, and a change of scenery could benefit him.”</p><p>The writer projects that Greene would only be dealt if the Reds could guarantee that they would get some proven offense in return. It wouldn’t be a situation where the club would move him, in order to dump salary.</p><p>“I don’t want to speculate on anybody that’s going to get traded or not get traded at this point,” team president of baseball operations Nick Krall said to reporters, per the outlet, about Greene’s trade potential. “Because we haven’t had any conversations with other clubs, I don’t know what the needs are out there. I don’t know what people are available as well.”</p><p>Greene finished the 2025 regular season with a 7-4 record, and a 2.76 ERA. He got shellacked<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-how-hunter-greene-fared-mlb-playoff-debut-vs-dodgers"> in his postseason appearance against the Dodgers</a>, posting a 15.00 ERA in that outing.</p><h2><b>The Reds hope to take the NL Central in 2026</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Terry-Francona-with-Reds.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Cincinnati had a strong end to their 2025 season. The club won enough games to put themselves in position for a postseason bid, then achieved it when the New York Mets crumbled near the end of the season.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/bonkers-reds-stat-perfectly-sums-up-stunning-playoff-run">Reds finished the regular season with a 83-79 record</a>. It was good enough for third in the National League Central. Team management says improving the defense is a top priority this offseason for the club.</p><p>“We were towards the bottom of the league in defense,” Krall said about his 2025 team. “We did a good job with defensive efficiency, but our defensive range and everything could be better across the board.”</p><p>Time will tell what moves the Reds make this offseason, to help achieve their goals.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds rumors: Hunter Greene could be traded to find offense

<!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-harsh-reality-abrupt-playoff-exit');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds’ Terry Francona details harsh reality of abrupt playoff exit');   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/2025/10/Terry-Francona-with-Reds.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds’ Terry Francona details harsh reality of abrupt playoff exit</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-02T05:27:43-07:00">October 2nd, 5:27am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-02T08:29:32-07:00">October 2nd, 8:29am</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 to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-blake-snell-yoshinobu-yamamoto-postseason-history-reds-series">the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-4 on Wednesday</a>, ending their season. The National League Wild Card series ended thanks to Los Angeles’ dominant offense, as another comeback attempt from Cincy was thwarted. After his first season with the Reds, Terry Francona spoke <a href="https://x.com/char_cliff/status/1973603933550682308" rel="noopener">about his club.</a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Terry Francona’s opening remarks postgame <a href="https://twitter.com/WLWT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WLWT</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZgBijvJqan">pic.twitter.com/ZgBijvJqan</a></p><p>— Charlie Clifford (@char_cliff) <a href="https://twitter.com/char_cliff/status/1973603933550682308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“It’s hard to know what to take away right now because it’s so fresh and raw. Everybody’s hurting, only one team can go home at the end on their own terms. And it’s not us this year. The season does not wind down; it just comes to a crashing halt. And that’s kinda hard sometimes to make your peace with. I thought our group from Day 1 was a special group. We did not accomplish what we set out to do, but that takes away nothing from me and the coaches feel about those guys.”</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-cincinnati-fires-david-bell-interim-named">Reds fired David Bell after their disappointing 2024 season</a>, bringing in the World Series Champion Francona to lead their young core. It worked immediately, improving from 77 wins to 83 and sneaking into the postseason thanks to a New York Mets collapse.</p><p>The Reds’ pitching dominated in September, but could not handle the Dodgers when the postseason began. Their offense was not great down the stretch and did not score enough runs to keep up with the defending champs. In both games, they got to the Dodgers’ beat-up bullpen, but could not pull off the comeback in either game.</p><p>The Reds head to the offseason with holes to fill, but they likely will not spend the money to get the best possible players. Francona will be in the managerial chair once again with a young team that has mounting expectations.</p><p>The Dodgers are moving on to face the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series. The Reds, meanwhile, are headed home.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds’ Terry Francona details harsh reality of abrupt playoff exit

<!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-gavin-lux-gives-indictment-dodgers-bullpen-before-game-2');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds’ Gavin Lux gives stinging indictment of Dodgers’ bullpen before Game 2');   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/2025/10/Cincinnati-Reds-outfielder-Gavin-Lux.jpg"><figcaption>© Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds’ Gavin Lux gives stinging indictment of Dodgers’ bullpen before Game 2</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-01T17:48:58-07:00">October 1st, 5:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-01T17:48:58-07:00">October 1st, 5:48pm</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 lost Game 1 of their National League Wild Card Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-5. While Shohei Ohtani led the Dodgers’ offense in a dominant performance, the team’s weaknesses remain. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-dave-roberts-scared-take-after-bullpen-tanner-scott-collapse">Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts talked about his bullpen while preparing for the postseason</a>. He tried many different things, including Roki Sasaki as a reliever.</p><p>While the Dodgers won Game 1, Reds outfielder Gavin Lux did not leave the game discouraged. The former Dodger spent a few seasons playing under Roberts and entered the series confident in his team. Cincinnati made it into the postseason in dramatic fashion, preventing the New York Mets from secure a spot in the postseason. Now, they are trying to slay a giant in Los Angeles.</p><p>Lux talked about the matchup ahead of Wednesday’s Game 2 with Reds reporter Charlie Goldsmith. According to him, Cincinnati has a <a href="https://x.com/CharlieG__/status/1973539214328467799" rel="noopener">chance to take advantage</a> of the Dodgers’ bullpen if they can get there early enough.</p><p>“That’s a bullpen that’s been struggling a little bit,” Lux said. “We came back and made it interesting and got into the bullpen. Looking at their starting pitching, it’s tough. The sooner you can get into the bullpen, the better. Not taking to take but having a game plan and being stubborn with that. The sooner we can get into the bullpen, the better.”</p><p>Los Angeles won by enough that Roberts did not put in his top relievers. Blake Treinen pitching in the ninth inning to secure the victory, saving the arms of Sasaki and Tanner Scott. Roberts gave his rookie pitcher an opportunity to come in as a reliever before the regular season ended to see if he could play that role. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-veteran-mlb-writer-drops-wild-roki-sasaki-closer-suggestion">One Major League Baseball Insider believes Sasaki should be the closer</a>.</p><p>Lux and the Reds need a win on Wednesday to force a decisive Game 3 on Thursday. If the outfielder is right, Cincinnati needs to keep the game close until the later innings to have a chance.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds’ Gavin Lux gives stinging indictment of Dodgers’ bullpen before Game 2

<!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-snap-brutal-streak-cutting-into-massive-game-1-deficit');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds snap brutal streak by cutting into massive Game 1 deficit');   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-manager-Terry-Francona-looks-on.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds snap brutal streak by cutting into massive Game 1 deficit</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-30T21:52:54-07:00">September 30th, 9:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-30T21:53:06-07:00">September 30th, 9:53pm</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>Cincinnati Reds fans waited 12 years to see their beloved franchise compete in the MLB playoffs. They waited even longer than that to see the team score a run in the postseason. Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series ended in a 10-5 Cincy loss — the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-how-hunter-greene-fared-mlb-playoff-debut-vs-dodgers">Los Angeles Dodgers pounced on Hunter Greene</a> and demolished the bullpen — but the scrappy squad did end an embarrassing drought.</p><p>Two-time All-Star Elly De La Cruz grounded into a fielder’s choice to bring home Austin Hays in the top of the seventh inning. The Reds made it an 8-1 game, scoring for the <a href="https://x.com/THEREAL_DV/status/1973223477399396722" rel="noopener">first time in 29 playoff innings</a>, per SportsNet LA’s David Vassegh. One excruciating streak is over, but Cincinnati must now figure out how to win its first postseason series since besting the Dodgers in the 1995 NL divisional round.</p><p>Needless to say, the team faces a tall order. The Reds’ offensive limitations are difficult to overlook. They ranked in MLB’s bottom half in slugging, OPS, batting average, home runs and doubles during the regular season. No player who logged at least 50 games posted a 110-plus OPS, and former Dodgers utility man Gavin Lux led the club in batting average at just .269. Yikes.</p><h2><b>Will the Reds beat the odds?</b></h2><p>Cincinnati squeezed its way into the postseason party despite a feeble lineup, in large part due to difference-making pitchers like Andrew Abbott, Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Emilio Pagan and Tony Santillan. This group needs to set the tone on the mound, and that is fairly tough to do when facing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-tie-franchise-record-amid-game-1-pummeling-of-reds">a fierce Dodgers lineup</a> that features Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman Teoscar Hernandez and Max Muncy, among others (Will Smith did not play in Game 1).</p><p>LA’s top three batters all recorded two hits each, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-second-hr-vs-reds">Ohtani smashed two home runs</a> in the home victory. Hernandez hit two long balls himself and posted a game-high four RBIs. The Reds are probably not going to out-slug this juggernaut. They must silence the Dodgers’ bats and figure out a way to manufacture enough offense, otherwise their October dreams will be bitterly short.</p><p>Game 2 is at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds snap brutal streak by cutting into massive Game 1 deficit

<!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-how-hunter-greene-fared-mlb-playoff-debut-vs-dodgers');   ga('set', 'title', 'How did Reds’ Hunter Greene fare in MLB playoff debut vs. 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/2025/03/Hunter-Greene-with-Cincinnati-Reds-1.jpg"><figcaption>Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>How did Reds’ Hunter Greene fare in MLB playoff debut vs. Dodgers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-30T20:39:19-07:00">September 30th, 8:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-30T20:39:33-07:00">September 30th, 8:39pm</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>Although the Cincinnati Reds won eight of their last 11 games to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/bonkers-reds-stat-perfectly-sums-up-stunning-playoff-run">clinch the final playoff berth</a>, they do not feel like the typical “look out, they’re hot” type of team. This resilient, Terry Francona-managed group is certainly capable of causing chaos, but it will not vanquish the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers unless its impressive starting pitching rotation holds steady versus a loaded lineup. That did not happen on Tuesday night.</p><p>Those who picked David to slay Goliath in this NL Wild Card matchup probably expected Hunter Greene to land the first blow. He did not bring nearly enough ammo with him to Dodger Stadium, however, and proceeded to suffer a beatdown from one of baseball’s most intimidating and enduring giants. The Reds ace <a href="https://x.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1973209860838990028" rel="noopener">allowed five runs on six hits</a> while walking two batters in just three innings in Game 1.</p><p>Greene surrendered <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-demolishes-leadoff-homer-reds">a lead-off home run</a> to probable NL MVP Shohei Ohtani, igniting the home crowd right away, and later gave up back-to-back dingers to Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman in the third. Cincinnati has yet to recover and currently trails 10-2 at time of print. Outlasting LA and advancing to the divisional round is going to be even more daunting than initially anticipated.</p><h2><b>Reds will have to fight back yet again </b></h2><p>For the Reds, this is not just an 0-1 hole in a series versus the mighty Dodgers. Their best pitcher is now off the board as well. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-hunter-greene-reacts-earning-game-1-start-dodgers">Francona trusted a well-rested Hunter Greene</a> to give the team a chance on the road. Following a brilliant 2025 regular season that included a 2.76 ERA, 132 strikeouts and 0.938 WHIP in 107 2/3 innings pitched, Greene posted a clunker.</p><p>The young right-hander is hardly the first superb hurler to stumble against LA, but that fact will probably not make the disappointment sting any less. He will try to pick himself up and cheer on his teammates the rest of the series. The good news is that the Reds have mastered the art of surviving in 2025.</p><p>Their season seemed on the verge of death multiple times during the second half of the campaign, but they pitched well, gutted out wins and capitalized on the opportunities the New York Mets gifted them. And here they are. Cincinnati is in the playoffs in a 162-game season for the first time in 12 years. It has a two-time World Series-winning manager in the dugout and plenty of magic on its side, so fans may not want to pencil in the Dodgers for the NL Division Series just yet.</p><p>But the Reds will need to remember their identity, and it is tied directly to the mound. They will look to rebound when Zack Littell battles Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Wednesday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How did Reds’ Hunter Greene fare in MLB playoff debut vs. 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/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-second-hr-vs-reds');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani launches eye-popping second HR in Game 1 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/2025/05/Shohei-Ohtani-2-1.jpg"><figcaption>Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani launches eye-popping second HR in Game 1 vs. Reds</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-30T20:30:11-07:00">September 30th, 8:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-30T20:30:11-07:00">September 30th, 8:30pm</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 are off to a roaring start in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-demolishes-leadoff-homer-reds">superstar Shohei Ohtani is the undeniable headline</a>. The phenom has already launched two home runs against the Cincinnati Reds, including a jaw-dropping 454-foot blast in the sixth inning that sent Dodger Stadium into a frenzy.</p><p>That second shot — a 113.4 mph missile off Reds right-hander Patrick Phillips — pushed the clubs’ lead to 8-0 and marked Ohtani’s fifth RBI of the night. Earlier, he opened the scoring with a three-run homer in the first inning, giving the Dodgers an early advantage in this best-of-three series.</p><p>His performance has already lit up social media. MLB posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) with a <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1973218664695714062" rel="noopener">clip of the moonshot</a> and a caption that quickly went viral.</p><p>“SHOHEI OHTANI DESTROYS HIS SECOND HOME RUN #POSTSEASON”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="et">SHOHEI OHTANI DESTROYS HIS SECOND HOME RUN <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/POSTSEASON?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#POSTSEASON</a> <a href="https://t.co/J9ALjsTXQg">pic.twitter.com/J9ALjsTXQg</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1973218664695714062?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The home run barrage adds another chapter to what has already been a remarkable 2025 season for Ohtani. Back in full two-way form, he smashed 55 home runs while also making 14 starts on the mound, posting a 2.87 ERA across 47.0 innings across the regular season. The rare impact he has on both sides of the ball has become central to the Dodgers’ identity — and could take on an even larger role this postseason depending on matchups. Now, he’s bringing that same dominance to October. His performance tonight only strengthens his status as the centerpiece of Dodgers’ push for a second straight championship.</p><p>As the eighth inning begins, the Dodgers lead the Reds 10-2 behind big nights from Ohtani and Teoscar Hernandez. Ohtani has two solo homers and three RBI, while Hernandez is 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI, including a three-run shot in the sixth. Freddie Freeman has scored twice and doubled, and Tommy Edman added a solo blast. With production throughout the lineup, Los Angeles is closing in on a dominant Game 1 win in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-bold-predictions-for-2025-nl-wild-card-series-vs-reds">Dodgers vs. Reds</a> NL Wild Card opener.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani launches eye-popping second HR in Game 1 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-hunter-greene-reacts-earning-game-1-start-dodgers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds’ Hunter Greene reacts to earning Game 1 start vs. 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/2025/09/Reds-pitcher-Hunter-Greene-21-walks-back-to-the-dugout.jpg"><figcaption>© Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds’ Hunter Greene reacts to earning Game 1 start vs. Dodgers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-30T09:05:49-07:00">September 30th, 9:05am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-30T09:05:49-07:00">September 30th, 9:05am</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene is about to make his debut in the MLB playoffs this Tuesday, and it will be against the team he grew up rooting for, the Los Angeles Dodgers.</p><p>Greene has earned the nod to be the Game 1 starter <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/bonkers-reds-stat-perfectly-sums-up-stunning-playoff-run">for the Reds in their National League Wild Card Series</a> versus the reigning World Series champions at Dodger Stadium. Born in Los Angeles, the 26-year-old Greene will be tasked with dealing with the powerful Dodgers offense that finished the 2025 MLB regular season second in the big leagues <a href="https://www.mlb.com/stats/team/ops" rel="noopener">with a .768 OPS</a>.</p><p>Playing in his fourth season in the big leagues, all with the Reds, Greene is just <a href="https://x.com/michaeljduarte/status/1972815186936631483" rel="noopener">embracing the reality</a> of being a playoff starter at last. He also shared how his father reacted to the news.</p><p>“Just a really proud father,” Greene said when asked what his father’s reaction as well was like to his getting Game 1 duties against the mighty Dodgers (h/t Michael J. Duarte of NBC LA).</p><p>“I saw him last night, and my mother as well, and my brother, my sister in college starting this year. I got to spend some great time with my family last night, and just a full circle moment. My father was my coach in the very beginning and has been there every step of the way. So, for him, I think his biggest thing is he’s just a proud father, and he’s going to be able to enjoy the game, but also I know he’ll be stressing just like every other game he comes to, but all for good reason. He’s just a really proud father.”</p><p>This is not Greene’s first time facing the Dodgers this season. He had a lone start versus LA, also at Dodger Stadium, in August, when he allowed three earned runs in six hits, including two home runs, while striking out three batters and walking two in five innings of a 7-0 loss.</p><p>However, Greene is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-hunter-greene-makes-mlb-history-amid-playoff-push">entering the playoffs with the Reds in good form</a>. Over his last five starts, Greene went 2-0 with a 2.64 ERA across 30.2 innings. He gave up just two or fewer runs in four of those appearances.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds’ Hunter Greene reacts to earning Game 1 start vs. 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/bonkers-reds-stat-perfectly-sums-up-stunning-playoff-run');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bonkers Reds stat perfectly sums up stunning playoff run');   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/2025/03/Reds-news-Why-Terry-Francona-decided-to-unretire-and-manage-Cincinnati.jpg"></figure><h1>Bonkers Reds stat perfectly sums up stunning playoff run</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-29T00:52:16-07:00">September 29th, 12:52am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-29T00:52:16-07:00">September 29th, 12:52am</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-cincinnati-clinches-playoff-berth-hunting-down-mets">Cincinnati Reds are once again bound for October’s stage</a>, returning to the postseason for the first time since the pandemic-curtailed 2020 campaign. They seized the National League’s final wild card on the very last day of the marathon season. Amid a 4-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, fortune smiled as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-the-miserable-stat-cost-new-york-postseason-spot">the New York Mets tumbled 4-0 to the Miami Marlins</a>, giving Cincinnati the lifeline they needed. Both teams closed at 83-79, but the Reds’ supremacy in their head-to-head matchups, winning four of six games against New York, proved decisive.</p><p>The Reds became the first team in MLB history to reach the postseason in a full, <a href="https://x.com/optastats/status/1972473180813193252?s=12&amp;t=kkHHabkNCFQ3XKiRQcJ3yQ" rel="noopener">162-game season</a> without a single qualifying batter hitting .270, without a player hitting 25 home runs, without a pitcher winning 15 games, and without a pitcher recording 200 strikeouts, according to OptaSTATS. They join an exclusive group of sub-84-win teams to make the playoffs in the 162-game era, including the 1973 Mets (82-79), 2005 San Diego Padres (82-80), and 2006 Arizona Cardinals (83-78).</p><p>The late-season revival of the Reds was born of steadfast resolve and strategic roster moves. After reaching a season-high 67-60 on Aug. 19, the Reds went 8-16 over their next 24 games, falling below .500. Manager Terry Francona’s mid-September pep talk sparked a turnaround, with Cincinnati winning eight of their last 11 games while the Mets faltered, going 5-6 in the same stretch after holding a 45-24 record through June 12. Key moments included a four-game sweep of the playoff-bound Chicago Cubs and a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, highlighted by Noelvi Marte robbing Bryan Reynolds of a ninth-inning tying homer.</p><p>The Reds also bolstered their roster at the July 31 trade deadline. Acquisitions of Miguel Andujar and Ke’Bryan Hayes strengthened the lineup and infield defense, while starter Zack Littell’s arrival allowed Nick Martinez to shift to the bullpen. Cincinnati’s rotation is statistically one of MLB’s best, ranking second by WAR behind Philadelphia, led by ace Hunter Greene and supported by left-handers Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo. The bullpen, while middle of the pack, has been sufficient to protect leads in the team’s critical late-season victories.</p><p>Now the Reds turn to the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers for a best-of-three Wild Card Series at Dodger Stadium, beginning Tuesday night, Sept. 30, with first pitch set for 9:08 p.m. ET. Cincinnati went 1-5 against the Dodgers during the regular season, but the team enters the playoffs with momentum and a history-making narrative. Francona, a two-time World Series champion with Boston and former Cleveland manager, adds another postseason run to his résumé in his first season with the Reds.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bonkers Reds stat perfectly sums up stunning playoff run

<!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-clinches-playoff-berth-hunting-down-mets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds clinch playoff berth after hunting down 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/TJ-Freidl.jpg"><figcaption>Benny Sieu-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds clinch playoff berth after hunting down Mets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-28T16:33:17-07:00">September 28th, 4:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-28T16:33:17-07:00">September 28th, 4:33pm</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut-based sports journalist with over five years of professional experience. After graduating from Central Connecticut State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism, he has covered every sport from fencing to football in the online and print medium. Dan hopes to see his beloved Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds have officially clinched their spot in the playoffs. After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-marlins-broadcast-blasts-new-york-for-lack-of-desire-down-the-stretch">a stunning collapse from the New York Mets</a>, the Reds have claimed the National League’s third Wild Card spot.</p><p>With the Mets falling 4-0 to the Miami Marlins on Sunday, the Reds’ playoff fate was sealed. Cincinnati also lost to the Milwaukee Brewers, falling 4-2 and ending their regular season with a 83-79 record. However, holding the tiebreaker over New York, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-new-york-caught-reds-nl-wild-card-race">Cincy earned the playoff berth</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">YOUR CINCINNATI REDS ARE GOING TO THE <br>POSTSEASON <a href="https://t.co/dO9XS2tgtr">pic.twitter.com/dO9XS2tgtr</a></p><p>— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) <a href="https://twitter.com/Reds/status/1972421186526257154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>This is the first time the Reds will be in the playoffs since 2020, when they got swept in the Wild Card. They’ll have a <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-playoff-picture-and-bracket-2025" rel="noopener">difficult challenge in the return to the postseason</a>, facing the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the Wild Card Round. But Cincinnati is hoping their momentum carries over into October.</p><p>Throughout the regular season, the Reds ranked 14th in runs scored with 716. They’ll continue to be led by superstar Elly De La Cruz, who led the team with 85 RBIs and 37 stolen bases, tying for the team lead with 21 home runs.</p><p>On the flip side, Cincinnati finished 12th in ERA with a 3.86 mark. Andrew Abbott has been a revelation, pitching to a 2.87 ERA and a 149/43 K/BB ratio. Brady Singer and Nick Lodolo have put up 158 and 156 respectively, the two highest totals on the team. And if Hunter Greene is fully healthy and dealing, the Reds have a staff any playoff opponent should fear.</p><p>But making the dance is just the first step. Cincinnati must now prepare for their matchup against Los Angeles. If they are able to knock off the Dodgers, then the Reds season will truly be considered magical.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds clinch playoff berth after hunting down 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/mlb-rumors-mariners-want-to-keep-josh-naylor-around-after-beating-out-reds-at-trade-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Mariners want to keep Josh Naylor around after beating out Reds at trade deadline');   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/Mariners-1B-Josh-Naylor.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Mariners want to keep Josh Naylor around after beating out Reds at trade deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-28T10:02:38-07:00">September 28th, 10:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-28T10:04:10-07:00">September 28th, 10:04am</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>The Seattle <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-news-mariners-success-seahawks-scheduling-issues">Mariners used a scorching final</a> few weeks of the 2025 regular season to capture the AL West crown. It’s the first time that the Mariners have won their division since 2001, and the fourth time overall. Now, as Seattle looks to make a deep run into October, some eyes have already shifted focus to the upcoming free agent market. Current M’s first baseman Josh Naylor was a major trade deadline pickup, as the Mariners front office beat out the Cincinnati Reds. According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale in his Sunday column, Seattle will do <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2025/09/28/mlb-awards-2025-aaron-judge-cal-raleigh-mvp-prediction-odds/86398917007/" rel="noopener">all it can to re-sign</a> Naylor this offseason.</p><p>“The Cincinnati Reds were close to acquiring Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor at the trade deadline before he went to the Seattle Mariners and became instrumental in their resurgence. Naylor is hitting .299 with nine homers, 33 RBIs, and a .831 OPS for the Mariners, and believe it or not, has stolen 19 bases without being caught. The Mariners will make every attempt to sign Naylor as a free agent this winter.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-news-josh-naylor-stolen-base-history-one-mlb-slowest-players">Resigning Naylor makes sense.</a> The first baseman has been excellent in a Mariners uniform, coming over from the Arizona Diamondbacks a few days before the deadline. Since Seattle acquired him and third baseman Eugenio Suarez in separate deals from Arizona, their offense was transformed overnight. Can the M’s keep Naylor this winter, or will the Reds re-emerge as an option?</p><h2><b>Will Mariners or Reds sign Josh Naylor this winter?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Reds-1B-Spencer-Steer.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Currently, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-spencer-steer-saves-game-vs-padres">Reds have Spencer Steer slotted</a> at first base. They could also utilize Sal Stewart in the role, as well as Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who is currently in Triple-A. While the Reds will likely have their eyes on Naylor again this offseason, it looks like they are in a better spot at first base than they were earlier this season. Still, GM Nick Krall and the Cincinnati front office love having infield depth. Naylor would make the Reds better as well.</p><p>However, he is more integral in Seattle. It’s clear how much Naylor and Suarez have helped lift this offense up. The historic season from catcher Cal Raleigh has been phenomenal to witness. Outfielders Randy Arozarena and Julio Rodriguez have been solid as well. Can the Mariners not only make a deep run into October, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-1b-josh-naylor-hits-career-milestone-vs-athletics">keep Naylor in the Pacific Northwest</a> past this coming winter?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Mariners want to keep Josh Naylor around after beating out Reds at trade deadline

<!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-elly-de-la-cruz-grounds-ball-second-base-hit');   ga('set', 'title', 'Elly De La Cruz hilariously grounds ball off second base for hit');   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/Elly-De-La-Cruz_55b167.jpg"><figcaption>Katie Stratman-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Elly De La Cruz hilariously grounds ball off second base for hit</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-26T20:03:59-07:00">September 26th, 8:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-26T20:16:50-07:00">September 26th, 8:16pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds are in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-terry-francona-ready-playoff-push-its-baseball-not-calculus">thick of a playoff push</a>. The team entered Friday’s series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers one game behind the New York Mets for the final NL Wild Card berth. With the Reds’ first trip to the postseason in five years at stake, every at-bat takes on extra meaning. And sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.</p><p>Brewers starter Quinn Priester was dealing in a 1-1 game. But the Reds took the lead on Miguel Andujar’s RBI single in the sixth inning. Then Elly De La Cruz stepped in and slapped a 91 mph sinker up the middle. But the sharply hit ball caromed off second base and made a <a href="https://x.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1971752319982399714" rel="noopener">sudden left turn</a> into shallow left field.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Elly with a base hit OFF the second base bag as the Reds are threatening to add to their lead <a href="https://t.co/TFPMeEz0GG">pic.twitter.com/TFPMeEz0GG</a></p><p>— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) <a href="https://twitter.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1971752319982399714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Brewers actually were in the perfect defensive alignment for the play. De La Cruz might have had a single up the middle under normal circumstances. But shortstop Joey Ortiz was standing right over second base, ready to turn a double play.</p><p>However, the ball caught the corner of the bag and bounced directly to where the shortstop would normally be playing.</p><h2><b>Reds move into tie for final NL Wild Card berth</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Elly-De-La-Cruz2.jpg"><figcaption>Katie Stratman-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Milwaukee’s alignment on the play left a large void on the left side of the infield. This not only allowed De La Cruz to reach on an infield single but also gave Andujar the opportunity to advance to third. The Reds were set up with runners at the corners and no outs.</p><p>The odd hit chased Priester from the game as the Brewers gave the ball to Nick Mears. De La Cruz stole second, his 37th swipe of the season, and Andujar scored on a Tyler Stephenson sacrifice fly. The two-run inning gave the Reds a 3-1 lead.</p><p>Cincinnati’s bullpen would hold Milwaukee in check over the final three frames and the Reds got a much-needed win. With the Mets losing to the Miami Marlins Friday, Cincinnati moved into a tie for the third NL Wild Card berth.</p><p>De La Cruz has struggled in September, slashing .213/.308/.350 with two home runs, eight RBI and seven runs scored in 22 games this month entering Friday’s matchup. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-elly-de-la-cruz-ends-home-run-drought-no-doubter-cubs">De La Cruz broke a long home run drought</a> with a bomb during the Reds’ sweep of the Cubs and he added another long ball in the Pirates series.</p><p>Cincinnati is now one win and one Mets loss away from reaching the playoffs. It would be the team’s first postseason appearance since 2020 and just their second playoff appearance in the last 12 years.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Elly De La Cruz hilariously grounds ball off second base for hit

<!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-injury-status-austin-hays-playoff-chase');   ga('set', 'title', 'Terry Francona reveals injury status of Austin Hays amid playoff 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/Austin-Hays.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Terry Francona reveals injury status of Austin Hays amid playoff chase</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-26T16:29:27-07:00">September 26th, 4:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-26T16:55:18-07:00">September 26th, 4:55pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the 2025 regular season comes to a close, the Cincinnati Reds are still in the hunt for the NL’s final playoff berth. The Reds got a huge boost with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-noelvi-marte-saved-season-home-run-robbery">Noelvi Marte’s season-saving catch</a> in Thursday’s series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The third-year pro reached over the wall in right field to rob Bryan Reynolds of a game-tying home run.</p><p>The highlight-reel grab allowed the Reds to hold on for a 2-1 win over Pittsburgh. The victory kept Cincinnati one game behind the New York Mets for the third Wild Card berth. The Reds will attempt to make up ground in a pivotal three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers starting Friday. But the team could <a href="https://x.com/CharlieG__/status/1971689594438799546" rel="noopener">still be missing</a> Austin Hays.</p><p>The veteran left fielder got some swings in on Thursday but wasn’t fully comfortable, per Reds reporter Charlie Goldsmith. Manager Terry Francona said Hays will try running on the field Friday and the team will reassess prior to the opener against the Brewers.</p><h2><b>Reds hold out hope Austin Hays returns for Wild Card push</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Austin-Hays-2.jpg"><figcaption>Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Hays has been sidelined by back spasms since Saturday’s game against the Chicago Cubs. While the back issue has kept the former All-Star out of the lineup the last four games, he’s avoided the injured list. Keeping Hays off the IL is a sign that the Reds expect him to rejoin the team and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-terry-francona-ready-playoff-push-its-baseball-not-calculus">help with the playoff push</a>. But time is running out.</p><p>Cincinnati has just three games remaining on the regular season schedule. And the team has very little margin for error.</p><p>The Reds were making a strong run for a playoff berth with five-straight wins, including a four-game sweep of the Cubs. But two-straight losses to the Pirates, including Wednesday’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-terry-francona-message-crushing-loss-pirates">crushing 4-3 defeat</a> in extra innings, halted the team’s progress.</p><p>Cincinnati bounced back thanks to Marte’s ninth-inning heroics Thursday. But Cincy needs help to reach the playoffs for the first time in five seasons and just the second time in the last 12 years.</p><p>There are now three teams vying for the final NL Wild Card berth. The Reds will clinch if they finish the season 3-0 and the Mets lose one of their last three games. If Cincinnati only wins one game, the team would need New York to get swept by the Miami Marlins. And, of course, if the Reds get swept by the Brewers, they would be eliminated regardless of the Mets’ performance.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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Yosver Zulueta

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Yosver
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