CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds had a chance to get into the MLB playoffs this year, but in the end, weren't able to string enough wins together to pull it off.
The scenarios to get the Reds in the postseason were as frenetic as one of those early 2010 Cardinals/Reds brawls (we miss you, Brandon Phillips).
While the Reds won a statement game Friday night in St. Louis 19-2, the Cards flipped the script on them Saturday night, also posting double-digit runs and beating the Reds 15-6.
The Miami Marlins also won their Saturday game, clinching them a spot in the MLB playoffs.
The last Wild Card spot will be taken by the Arizona Diamondbacks, though it's not clear yet which will be the No. 2 and which will be the No. 3 seed.
Whichever team secures the No. 3 Wild Card slot will travel to Milwaukee to play a 3-game series (all in Milwaukee) against the Brewers beginning Tuesday.
Making the playoffs for the Reds would have been a happy surprise for a team that was expected to be growing its young talent this year, but would have been an invaluable experience for this youthful squad.
Either way, this team has made an impression on this city in more of a way than any of the last decade, which led to the Reds' highest attendance at Great American Ball Park since 2015. It also happens to be their smallest payroll since that year.
