The Cincinnati Reds are on the outside looking in when it comes to the National League playoff picture.
Cincinnati sits one game behind the San Diego Padres in the race for the final wild-card berth.
The Reds will look to potentially climb into that spot when they host the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday evening in the second contest of a three-game series.
Cincinnati inched closer to the inside of the cutoff line with a 7-2 win against the Rays in the series opener on Friday. Trailing 2-1 in the fourth, the Reds scored twice in their half of the frame before adding a pair of runs in both the sixth and seventh inning.
Cincinnati has won eight of its past 12 games with the trade deadline less than a week away.
“Obviously, we’re aware of the trade deadline looming and the boys want to play,” pitcher Nick Martinez said. “The boys want to win, and we want to make a push. We’re certainly playing like it.”
Tyler Stephenson helped fuel Friday’s win with two hits and three RBIs. He has gotten into a groove of late with nine hits in his last eight games.
“We talk about it in hitters’ meetings, those opportunities — just the small (things to) get them over and taking advantage of times guys are in scoring position,” Stephenson said. “That’s kind of where you can make or break in these games. The more situations you have, the more you can capitalize on those, chances are you’re probably going to win.”
Cincinnati will send left-hander Andrew Abbott (8-1, 2.13 ERA) to the mound to start Saturday’s game.
Abbott will face Tampa Bay for the second time in his career, a year minus a day after the first. He took the loss after allowing four runs on eight hits over four innings on July 27, 2024.
The Rays, meanwhile, will look to snap out of a funk that has seen them drop four of their past five games. Friday’s setback was their 11th loss in the past 14 road games.
The past month hasn’t been good to the squad, which is 6-15 since June 29. They held the first wild-card spot in the American League the day before that stretch began but have since dropped 1 1/2 games out of the third and final wild card.
“You’ve just got to find some momentum,” Rays center fielder Chandler Simpson said. “Really just banding together. Leaning on each other. Passing the baton. Just knowing that if one guy doesn’t do it, the next guy will pick him up.”
Injuries have started to take a bite out of Tampa Bay’s lineup.
Infielder Ha-Seong Kim was placed on the 10-day injured list with a back strain on Friday. Second baseman Brandon Lowe (ankle/foot tendinitis) was added to the IL earlier this week. The Rays then acquired Stuart Fairchild from the Atlanta Braves to replace Lowe, but he now finds himself on the IL as well, because of an oblique strain.
Right-hander Ryan Pepiot (6-8, 3.59 ERA) will start for Tampa Bay on Saturday. It will be his first career appearance against the Reds.