The Big Pod Machine: Can the Reds make it to the playoffs?
Reds Beat Reporter Gordon Wittenmyer and Sports Reporter Pat Brennan discuss the current state of the Cincinnati Reds.
The Cincinnati Reds entered play Sept. 12 on.ly 1 1/2 games out of the final National League playoff position.The Reds were to begin a three-game series with the Athletics in Sacramento on Sept. 12.The Reds hold several tiebreakers in the playoff race.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – As the Cincinnati Reds prepared to open a weekend series in Sacramento against the Athletics Sept. 12, they were just 1 1/2 games behind the New York Mets for the final playoff spot in the National League, with 16 games left to play.
The Reds and the San Francisco Giants were tied in the wild-card standings.
Which raises the question: What if the Reds finish in a tie with either or both of those teams?
Ties for playoff berths no longer are decided on the field, so a tiebreaker formula would be used. None of those teams has any games remaining against the others.
These are some of the possibilities:
If the Reds and Mets finish in a two-way tie for a berth, the Reds are in based on a 4-2 head-to-head record against the Mets this season.If the Reds and Giants finish in a two-way tie, it would go to the second tiebreaker because they split their six meetings. In the second tiebreaker, the teams’ records within their own divisions are used. The Reds are 17-22 in the NL Central with a series left against each division opponent for a total of 13 division games left (four against the Cubs). The Giants are 18-21 in the NL West with 13 division games remaining, including seven against the Dodgers (and three each against the Rockies and Diamondbacks).If the Giants and Reds were still tied after the intra-division tiebreaker, the third tiebreaker would then be each teams’ records against NL opponents not in its own division. The Giants have clinched that tiebreaker advantage over the Reds with a 32-27 record in those games (and three pending against the Cardinals). The Reds are 31-31 in those games with no more remaining.If the Reds, Mets and Giants finish in a three-way tie, the Reds are in because of a combined 7-5 record against the two others, compared to the Mets’ 6-6 and Giants’ 5-7.
Here’s the standings for the final* wild-card berth in the NL entering games on Sept. 12 (with remaining games/series in parentheses):
New York Mets — 76-71 – (15 games left vs. Rangers, Padres, Nationals, Cubs, Marlins)Cincinnati Reds – 74-72, 1 1/2 GB (16 vs. Athletics, Cardinals, Cubs, Pirates, Brewers)San Francisco Giants – 74-72, 1 1/2 GB (16 vs. Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Cardinals, Rockies)Arizona Diamondbacks – 73-74, 3 GB (15 vs. Twins, Giants, Phillies, Dodgers, Padres)St. Louis Cardinals – 72-75, 4 GB (15 vs. Brewers, Reds, Brewers, Giants, Cubs)
Note: The Reds own the tiebreaker edge against the Diamondbacks; the tiebreaker edge against the Cardinals hasn’t been determined yet.