CINCINNATI -- Entering Wednesday, the Reds' chances of making the playoffs – according to FanGraphs – were just 2%. Not great at all, or even close to good, but players haven't written themselves off with just under two months until the postseason.
Wednesday's 3-2 victory over the A's at Great American Ball Park gave the Reds the first two games of the series. They're 12-6 since the All-Star break and are three games under .500 at 55-58. They have claimed five of the last six series and have taken 10 of the last 14 games, with nine victories by two runs or less.
“I think we’re just playing really free," Reds starting pitcher Rhett Lowder said. "You’ve seen us kind of have a couple of comeback wins. And we think we’re going to win every game, which is probably the most important thing for a team."
And while bad news flowed again earlier in the day with Hunter Greene going back on the injured list with right elbow soreness, Lowder looked good as he pitched six innings and allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while notching three strikeouts.
Welcomed, indeed.
“I can’t figure out a day when we don’t want it, regardless of what happens," manager Terry Francona said. "You got to go play. Whatever happens, you go play. Our guys did a good job.”
Lowder opened the game with Lawrence Butler slugging his 1-2 sinker for a leadoff home run to right field. After that, he was almost flawless for several innings.
“The second guy hit the ball pretty good too, and then he gathered himself," Francona said of Lowder. "He gave up a run late but six innings, two runs.”
Lowder retired 11 of his next 13 batters and didn't give up another hit until Tommy White's two-out single in the fourth inning. Matt McLain gave the Reds a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning with a two-out solo homer to right field against A's starter Jacob Lopez.
In the sixth inning, Tyler Soderstrom hit a one-out single off Lowder and scored the tying run on Jonah Heim's RBI double to right field.
"I gave up the lead the last inning and really, no one was worried about that," Lowder said. "That’s the mentality you have to have as a good team. When you’re playing well, don’t worry about giving up a run or striking out or having a bad inning. You’re pretty confident you’ve got time to win the game.”
It happened in the bottom of the sixth when Sal Stewart opened by reaching on a comebacker to the mound for a single and then advanced to third base on a Dane Myers single to right field.
With one out, Stewart scored the go-ahead run on Noelvi Marte's sacrifice fly to right field. Marte also scored Cincinnati's run in the second inning.
Lowder not only got his first win since April 20, but he also has now recorded back-to-back quality starts.
"When you’re kind of not helping the team win, you want to try to be perfect every time you go out there," said Lowder, who is 4-7 with a 5.26 ERA in 20 games (17 starts). "I just had to be like, ‘You’re not going to climb out of the hole you dug yourself in earlier by just being perfect.’ It puts so much more pressure on yourself."
In another continuation of a key development, the Reds bullpen trio of Brock Burke, Tejay Antone and closer Emilio Pagán worked three perfect innings. It's given their relievers a 1.73 ERA over the last 14 games.
“If we can keep our bullpen from getting overused, they’ve got a chance to be good," Francona said. "We’ve had a struggle with that. That’s not their fault. They’ve been used a lot. Burke had two days off. That hadn’t happened very often. And he came out and had a little extra tonight. Hopefully we can try to manage that.”
On Thursday, the Reds have a shot at a sweep of the A's, who have lost 27 of their last 32 games. However, tempering any optimism of a miracle comeback in the standings is some of their upcoming opponents.
Cincinnati has the most difficult remaining schedule in baseball, with their opponents racking up a combined winning percentage of .538. Beginning later this month, the Reds have 25 straight games against contenders. They include the Cubs (six games), Padres (three), Dodgers (seven), Brewers (six) and Braves (three).
And they could be playing again for a bit without Greene, who has already been limited to only five starts this season.
“I think everyone’s had each other’s back the entire way," Lowder said. "I don’t see that changing now.”