Reds’ Nick Martinez talks perfect relief outing, huge win over Cubs
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Martinez retired all seven batters he faced to help the Reds beat the Cubs 1-0 and catch the Mets in the NL playoff race.
After beating the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1, the Cincinnati Reds have a new magic number to make the MLB playoffs with two games remaining in the regular season.
Due to the New York Mets‘ loss and the Reds’ win on Sept. 26, Cincinnati holds the last wild card spot in the National League. The two teams have an identical record, but the Reds own the head-to-head tiebreaker, having gone 4-2 in games against the Mets this season.
Though Cincinnati lost two out of three games to the Pittsburgh Pirates from Sept. 23-25, the Mets matched their record by losing two consecutive games against the Chicago Cubs.
The Reds are closing out the 2025 season with an in-division series on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers. The second game of the three-game set is on Sept. 27.
Keep reading to learn about the Reds’ magic number to make the 2025 MLB playoffs and more.
What is a magic number in Major League Baseball?
In MLB, the phrase “magic number” is the formula used to determine how close a team is to clinching a playoff spot or a division title. The number represents the combination of team wins and losses by that team’s closest competitor needed to clinch.
With three games remaining on their schedule, the Reds still have a magic number in play for clinching the playoffs.
Formula to determine magic number: (Total games played in a season) +1 – (Total wins for Team A – total losses for Team B).
What is the magic number for the Cincinnati Reds to make the 2025 MLB postseason?
The Reds’ magic number to clinch the MLB postseason is 2. The Reds hold the third-place wild card with a tiebreaker over the Mets, who share an identical record.
The 2 refers to the total of Reds wins and Mets losses that would solidify Cincinnati a wild cart spot. For example, if New York does not lose either of their two remaining games, the only way for Cincinnati to punch its ticket is to win both of its remaining games.