After they beat the Cardinals to win their last series the Cincinnati Reds had the Chicago Cubs’ live playoff-clinching celebration on the clubhouse TVs as they dressed to head out of St. Louis.

The Reds are still playing to earn their own celebration with 10 games left, trailing the New York Mets by two games for the final National League playoff berth − with the Arizona Diamondbacks also ahead of the Reds by a half-game.

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“We’ve got to handle our own business. If we get help, great,” said Spencer Steer, who drove in five runs with a homer and two-run single in the St. Louis finale, just ahead of opening a seven-game homestand Sept. 18 against the Cubs.

“We’ve got a good opportunity in front of us,” Steer said, “playing Chicago for four at home.”

Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds series

Not to mention the fact that the Cubs could be dealing with a post-clinch hangover as the series opens − which did not go unnoticed by some of the guys who glanced at the celebration scene.

“You’ve got that, too,” Steer said. “That’s another added variable.”

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In fact, if their playoff hopes are still alive when they finish the homestand, the Reds might be catching the Brewers in the final series of the year at the best possible time. The team with the best record in the majors – the team the Reds haven’t beaten in a series since the first half of the 2022 season – figures to be playing for little more than setting up their starting pitching and keeping banged-up regulars healthy for the playoffs.

Cincinnati Reds remaining schedule

Here’s the remaining schedules for the four teams in play for the NL’s final playoff spot entering Sept. 18:

New York Mets (78-74) — vs. San Diego Padres (1), vs. Washington Nationals (3), at Chicago Cubs (3), at Miami Marlins (3)

Arizona Diamondbacks (77-76 1.5 GB) — vs. Philadelphia Phillies (3), vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (3), at San Diego Padres (3)

Cincinnati Reds (76-76, 2 GB) — vs. Chicago Cubs (4), vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (3), at Milwaukee Brewers (3)

San Francisco Giants (76-76, 2 GB) — at Los Angeles Dodgers (4), vs. St. Louis Cardinals (3), vs. Colorado Rockies (3).

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds playoff chances heading into remaining series