Reds look on as Mets celebrate division title

CINCINNATI -- The celebration of reaching the postseason was something the Reds enjoyed more frequently not very long ago. From 2010-13, they reached the playoffs three times with two National League Central titles. On Saturday, on the heels of a 10-2 defeat to the Mets, Cincinnati had to watch another team feel that euphoria.

It was the Mets who clinched their division, their first NL East crown since 2006.

"It stinks to have them clinch against you," Reds third baseman Todd Frazier said. "You look back on our year. We've been there before and you want to get that feeling again. You're happy for them. You hate to lose, but you're still happy for them, but at the same time, it's a kick in the rear end."

The Reds are 63-91 after suffering their seventh consecutive loss. While it's only been two years since they reached NL Wild Card Game in 2013, much has changed. Only nine players from that club remain on the current active roster, with four more on the disabled list.

When the Reds won the NL Central in 2010, it had been a 15-year stretch without a postseason berth.

With New York's magic number at 1 entering the day, many Mets fans were among the 32,293 in attendance at Great American Ball Park. Throughout the game, they chanted, "Let's go Mets," and cheered loudly for their club as it hit two home runs and overpowered the Reds early.

"To be honest with you, I didn't know this was a clinching game for them," Reds starting pitcher John Lamb, who took the loss, said. "I could tell there was a lot of excitement on the Mets' side, with the fans' support. I knew they were doing some special things over there to have enough support to keep them out there pushing hard."

Only a few on the Reds' bench stuck around to watch as the Mets celebrated between the mound and home plate following Jay Bruce's game-ending strikeout.

"It's a lot harder when you're in it and you're the one affected by the clinch," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "I'd rather it not happen in our ballpark. [But] the Mets, what a great year. You have to acknowledge the job that [manager] Terry Collins and his staff have done with that team, and the job the ownership did to get guys like [Yoenis Cespedes] and [Addison Reed] and Kelly Johnson and Tyler Clippard -- to help a good team get even better. That was a tremendous effort right there.

"We know what it was like in 2010, to be a team that hadn't been in the postseason for a little bit. To get in there, it's an exciting time for them. I congratulate them for that."