Biggest questions for Reds entering postseason
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MILWAUKEE -- It took until the last day of the regular season, but the Reds worked their way into October baseball and the playoffs.
By finishing 83-79, the Reds ended the season tied with the Mets for the final National League playoff spot. Fortunately for them, they held the tiebreaker advantage -- which came in handy following their 4-2 loss to the Brewers at American Family Field.
“It was up and down, but we just had to stay together. We played together and we made it," shortstop Elly De La Cruz said.
After the champagne was sprayed, the cigars were smoked and the pictures were taken on Sunday, it was time to fly to Los Angeles to face the defending World Series champion Dodgers in the NL Wild Card Series, with Game 1 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.
“We’ve got 36 hours to get a lot of things in order," manager Terry Francona said. "But I’d much rather be scrambling than go home.”
Here is a look at some of the questions ahead:
What could the postseason roster look like?
The 28-man roster all teams had in September reverts to the regular 26 players for the playoffs, with a maximum of 13 pitchers for each round of the postseason. Rosters are due the morning of Game 1 of each round.
C: Tyler Stephenson, Jose Trevino
1B: Spencer Steer, Sal Stewart
2B: Matt McLain
SS: Elly De La Cruz
3B: Ke'Bryan Hayes
UT: Santiago Espinal, Miguel Andujar
OF: TJ Friedl, Noelvi Marte, Gavin Lux, Austin Hays, Will Benson
SP: Hunter Greene, Zack Littell, Andrew Abbott
RP: Emilio Pagán, Tony Santillan, Nick Martinez, Graham Ashcraft, Scott Barlow, Connor Phillips, Brent Suter, Chase Burns, Nick Lodolo
Brady Singer has been very good down the stretch, but he started the final game of the regular season and could be a good option for Game 1 in the NL Division Series on Saturday if they can advance. Leaving Zach Maxwell off is a tough one because he throws 100 mph, but he hasn't pitched since Sept. 16. Francona revealed that Littell would get the Game 2 start, in part, because he will be on his normal rest. That spot might have belonged to Lodolo before he suffered a right groin injury in his final regular-season start. Lodolo, who pitched in relief in Game 162 vs. the Brewers, will be in the bullpen for the Wild Card round.
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When do the playoffs begin?
The NL and American League Wild Card Series are best-of-three from Tuesday-Thursday. The Reds will not get to host a game during this round. All three of their games will be in Los Angeles. Games 1 and 2 are scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
What is the injury situation?
Besides Lodolo, Hays missed six games with back spasms during the final week of the regular season. He was able to pinch-hit in the eighth inning and play defense on Sunday, which was a good sign that he can be ready for the playoffs. Lodolo, who had right groin soreness during his final start on Thursday and left early, appeared in relief on Sunday and looked to be healthy.
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How did the Reds fare vs. the Dodgers in the regular season?
Not very well. Cincinnati was 1-5 vs. the NL West division winners this season. That included the first time the Reds were swept in a series all season, when the Dodgers took all three games at Chavez Ravine on Aug. 25-27.
What is the Reds' recent postseason history?
The last time Cincinnati reached the postseason was during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season with an expanded playoff field. The Reds were swept in the Wild Card Series by the Braves, being shut out both times.
The last time Cincinnati reached the postseason after a 162-game season was 2013. The Reds were eliminated in the Wild Card Game by the Pirates. The Reds haven't advanced in a playoff series since 1995, when they swept the Dodgers in the NL Division Series in 1995. They were knocked out in the NLDS in 2012 and '10, after winning the NL Central division.
How have the Reds fared vs. the Dodgers' starting pitching?
Los Angeles is likely to go with Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani, in that order. The Reds did not face Snell this season, but he is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in two career starts against them, including a no-hitter in 2024 pitching for the Giants. Yamamoto's lone start vs. Cincinnati came on July 28 in a 5-2 win. He allowed one run and four hits with two walks and nine strikeouts.
The Reds went 1-1 in the games started by Ohtani, including their 5-2 win at Great American Ball Park on July 30. Over three-plus innings, Ohtani gave up two runs on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts in three innings, but he was removed during the fourth mid-batter with muscle cramps. On Aug. 27, during a 5-1 Dodgers win, Ohtani pitched five innings and allowed one run and two hits with two walks and nine strikeouts.
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How much postseason experience do the Reds have?
A team composed of several young players, including several homegrown Reds, lacks postseason experience. This includes De La Cruz, McLain, Friedl, Stephenson and Hayes, who spent eight years with the Pirates before being traded to Cincinnati on July 30.
The front office made an effort to add veteran players with postseason experience in the offseason when it acquired Lux from the Dodgers and Trevino from the AL champion Yankees in trades and signed Hays as a free agent. Others with playoff experience include Pagán, Martinez, Suter, Andujar and Espinal.
Of course, few in the game today can match the postseason resume of Francona. In 24 seasons, he has guided his teams to the playoffs 12 times, including three pennants and two World Series championships.