Surging Reds blank Cubs, move into tie for NL wild card spot

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Cincinnati Reds pitcher Andrew Abbott delivers in the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Michael Swensen)

Chicago Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon (50) delivers in the third inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Michael Swensen) — Cincinnati Reds pitcher Andrew Abbott delivers in the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Michael Swensen)

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2:31 PM on Sunday, September 21

By JEFF WALLNER

CINCINNATI (AP) — The surging Cincinnati Reds beat the Chicago Cubs 1-0 on Sunday and moved into a tie with the New York Mets for the final wild card spot in the National League.

The Reds have won a season-high five straight games and six of seven. The Mets lost to the Nationals earlier in the day.

Sunday's game was delayed one hour and 11 minutes by rain.

Matt McLain doubled and scored on Gavin Lux's two-out double to right, putting the Reds ahead 1-0 in the third.

Lux collected two of the Reds' five hits against Jameson Taillon (10-7) who pitched seven innings with no walks and four strikeouts.

Reds starter Andrew Abbott allowed five hits in 4 2/3 innings before the Reds turned to the bullpen. Nick Martinez (11-13) pitched 2 1/3 shutout innings. Graham Ashcraft allowed one hit in the eighth.

The Cubs had runners on first and second with two outs in the ninth against Tony Santillan who struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong for his 7th save of the season.

It's the second time in the four-game series that the Reds won by a 1-0 score. Hunter Greene pitched a complete-game shutout in Thursday's series opener.

Key moment

The Cubs had runners on first and second with nobody out in the third, and first and third with one out in the fourth, but didn’t score against Abbott.

Key stat

Since losing to the Mets on Sept. 5 to fall six games back in the wild card race, the Reds have gone 10-5 while the Mets have lost 11 of 15.

Up next

Cubs RHP Cade Horton (11-4, 2.66 ERA) will start Tuesday's series opener against the Mets.

Reds RHP Brady Singer (14-10, 3.86) will start Tuesday's series opener against the Pirates.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB