The Reds beat Milwaukee and, with the Mets losing to the Marlins, hold their postseason fate in their own hands with two games to go. The magic numbers are two to eliminate the Mets and one to wipe out the Diamondbacks.

Connor Phillips has evolved from Triple-A Louisville to a trusted late‑inning weapon, fueling a bullpen that was lights out in the win. Veterans and youngsters alike are fueling the charge as Cincinnati rides momentum into a pivotal stretch.

Gavin Lux, Terry Francona, Tyler Stephenson, Tony Santillan and Zack Littell spoke postgame, stressing urgency and leadership as the club locks in on finish‑line execution and depth for the pennant race.

Cincinnati rode timely hits from Miguel Andujar and Gavin Lux to a 3-1 win at Milwaukee, grabbing key playoff leverage as Littell shined through 4.2 innings and a shutdown bullpen closed it out. The result puts the Reds back in the thick of the race and gives them control of their destiny with two games left.

Meanwhile, a Mets loss to the Marlins created a two-team tie in the NL standings, with Cincinnati owning the tiebreaker. Milwaukee still chases home-field advantage, but Cincinnati’s late-season resilience keeps their hopes alive as the stretch run intensifies.

Cincinnati edged Chicago 1-0 as Milwaukee wrapped the division, leaving the Cubs with a tougher wild-card path. Chicago’s three-game cushion over San Diego hangs in the balance as Kyle Tucker’s calf strain clouds the lineup’s timing for the opener.

Key questions loom: who starts Game 1 in the wild-card series—Imanaga, Boyd, or rookie Cade Horton? Horton’s second-half 0.93 ERA makes him a frontrunner. Cubs also face roster choices with Amaya’s ankle and a bench-heavy carry into the three-game set.

Rotation planning and bench depth take center stage as the Cubs weigh three starting options, the stay-ready group in Arizona, and how many pitchers versus position players they’ll carry for a three-game series.

The Reds slugged their way to a 7-4 win over the Cubs, tapping five homers led by Spencer Steer, who joined Miguel Andujar, Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz in the homer parade. Lodolo battled, surrendering four runs, but Cincinnati’s bullpen locked things down late. Steer’s second blast gave the lead in the sixth, and De La Cruz snapped a 43-game homer drought to seal it. The win tightens Cincinnati’s wild-card odds, two games back of the Mets, with Littell set to face Assad next.