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No, the Reds snagged the last NL wild card the way they’d gotten into the race in the first place: shutting down the other guys. Reds starters had a 3.45 ERA and 3.48 FIP down the stretch, and just three teams saw their starters work more innings. The Reds allowed just 36 runs in the 13 games they played after leaving Sacramento. More surprisingly, their bullpen showed out, with a 1.16 ERA and 2.39 FIP, both best in baseball, over the final two weeks. Only the Pirates allowed fewer runs over that time, and they played one fewer game to do it. The Reds went 9-4, nobody else chasing that last spot played better than .500 ball, and now we have our 2025 Cinderella.
