Hunter Green joked about being a “man of the people” by gifting fans free pizza with his 12 strikeouts against the New York Mets Sept. 7.
A few minutes later, reliever Brent Suter, a Moeller High School product, proclaimed “don’t let the Cincinnati Bengals win in Week 1″ after the Bengals put the finishing touches on a 17-16 victory in Cleveland Sept. 7.
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What a difference a few days can make.
More: Cincinnati Reds hold on to beat New York Mets, win series
‘We’re still alive.’: Cincinnati Reds SS Elly De La Cruz on back-to-back wins over Mets
Elly De La Cruz (44) and Matt McClain (9) turned a game-ending 6-4-3 double play in the Cincinnati Reds’ 3-2 win over the New York Mets at Great American Ball Park on Sept. 7, 2025.
A dejected clubhouse that resembled a morgue Sept. 5 after a crushing 5-4 loss to New York suddenly found a slice of optimism after back-to-back wins over the Mets for their first series victory since mid-August (Angels).
Cincinnati (72-71) gained a game on the Mets over the weekend and currently sit four games behind New York with 19 to play.
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“It’s kind of been the story all year−find ourselves in a tough spot and find a way. Find a way to fight out of it and get right back to where we have a chance,” said Austin Hays, who knocked in a pair of runs in the 3-2 win Sept. 7. “We had a really bad two weeks. We’ve been playing a lot better baseball since then. Everybody’s picking each other up, passing the baton, doing whatever it takes to win.
“We’re gonna have a happy flight on our way out to the west coast and do some good things out there.”
Cincinnati Reds outfielder Austin Hays (12) had a sacrifice fly and an RBI single in a 3-2 win over the New York Mets Sept. 7, 2025.
A happy flight after a losing homestand (3-6) in September is rare, but the Reds will hang their hat on resiliency with three games coming up at Petco Park against the San Diego Padres (77-65, pending their Sept. 7 game), who currently occupy the second National League wild card.
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Manager Terry Francona returned to the Reds’ dugout Sept. 7 after missing a game due to an illness that has wreaked havoc on the Reds’ clubhouse recently almost as much as the slide in the standings.
Hunter Greene tied a season-high and permitted just one hit over seven innings in the Cincinnati Reds’ 3-2 win over the New York Mets Sept. 7. It was the Reds’ first series victory since mid-August.
“They’re not asking for anybody to feel sorry for them. They really care. They’re a really good group of guys,” Francona said. “Sometimes, the game doesn’t end the way we want it. We’ve been through a really tough stretch. We’re still alive. Until they make you go home, they keep playing.”
The give-me-the-ball mentality from pitchers like Greene could help the Reds push this race to the wire over the final three weeks. A Cincinnati bullpen that was taxed after covering 54 outs in a three-game span got some much-needed rest as Brady Singer and Greene combined for 13 innings of five-hit, two-run ball with 17 strikeouts for the series win.
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“My expectation is to do what I did today,” Greene said. “We’ve always had that belief in ourselves. We just gotta go do it. Sitting here and talking about it doesn’t give me any excitement. I just want to go do it.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: ‘We’re still alive.’ Resilient Reds keep fighting in NL wild card race