LOS ANGELES -- Throughout September as they played one must-win game after another to stay in the playoff race, the Reds referred to themselves as "cockroaches" that can't be killed.
In the epitome of a do-or-die Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series on Wednesday, the 2025 Reds finally met their end. An 8-4 loss to the Dodgers meant Cincinnati's elimination from the postseason in a 2-0 sweep.
Although it ended fast, it was far from painless.
“It sucks. That’s pretty much how we sum it up," center fielder TJ Friedl said. "Who knows if this is the last time we have this group in this clubhouse the way baseball is. This might be the last time this group is together. It sucks. There’s no other way to describe it.”
Players and coaches milled around the visitor's clubhouse at Dodger Stadium hugging each other, consoling one another and then vowing to come back and go further next season.
“I think we’ve got a really good group here," first baseman/left fielder Spencer Steer said. "We’ve got a lot of talent in this room. We’ve got to go out and earn it. We’ve got to work hard this offseason and come back with a chip on our shoulder and play baseball. You know anything can happen, obviously. I like this group. Hopefully we can make a statement next year.”
Cincinnati finished the regular season 83-79 by winning eight of its last 11 games, while the Mets also collapsed, to get the final NL playoff spot . The club had on so many occasions -- especially over September -- bounced back from devastating defeats and found ways to keep pushing.
But the realization hit that the next time any bouncing back can happen isn't until 2026.
“Ultimately we didn’t do what we set out to do, which was win the World Series," said closer Emilio Pagán, who did not get to pitch in the series. "But there’s something to be said for a group of young players to get their first taste of it. While we’re not happy with just getting to the playoffs, you look at some of the best teams.
"You see what it takes to get in that atmosphere and then you see a continued run of success. There’s absolutely no doubt about it that the guys in this clubhouse have a chance to do that and take another step forward and then another step. Hopefully it all comes together next year and I would love to be back and hoisting the World Series trophy. I truly believe that this team can do that."
The Reds have lost a franchise-record eight consecutive postseason games dating back to 2012. The last time they advanced in a postseason round was 1995, when they swept the Dodgers.
“It’s the worst part of the year but only one team gets to go home the way they want to go home," said starting pitcher Zack Littell, who pitched 3 1/3 innings. "You get to reflect a little bit on the guys you get to do it with. This group is awesome. We busted our [butts] to put ourselves in this spot. It obviously didn’t happen the way we wanted it to."
Littell was superb through his first two scoreless innings and worked out of a jam after allowing a run in the third inning on a Mookie Betts RBI single that trimmed the Cincinnati lead to 2-1. Of his 36 pitches through three innings, Littell threw only six balls.
As Nick Lodolo warmed up behind him, Littell was given a fourth inning when the Dodgers rallied. It started when leadoff batter Max Muncy hit a grounder to the right side. Second baseman Matt McLain made a dive but could only deflect the ball for a single. With one out, Kiké Hernández hit an RBI double that scored Muncy to tie the game. Miguel Rojas followed with a flare that landed on the right-field foul line for an RBI single and the go-ahead run.
Lodolo took over and, after giving up a bunt single by Ben Rortvedt, got them out of the inning. The game got away from Cincinnati during a four-run Dodgers sixth inning against Nick Martinez while they sent 10 men to the plate. The biggest blow was a two-run double to center field by Teoscar Hernández that made it a five-run lead and effectively sealed the series.
"With Zack, I kind of wanted to keep it where he only faced their lineup twice. I think he ended up giving up six hits, and the last one, kind of the blooper down the right, really hurt," manager Terry Francona said. "I thought he threw the ball really well. I thought he navigated his way through the lineup like he knows how to. The plan was to turn it over to Lodolo and then to [Martinez]."
Like his players, Francona was absorbing the quick ending of his first season with the Reds as their manager.
"The season doesn't just wind down," Francona said. "It just comes to a crashing halt. And that's kind of hard sometimes to make your peace with. I thought our group from day one was a special group. We did not accomplish what we set out to do. That takes away nothing from what me and the coaches feel about those guys."