First off, let’s all collectively take a deep breath. Even as other games still finish up around Major League Baseball, we as Reds fans are guaranteed to go to sleep in the same position as we woke up. The Reds still are the #7 seed in the National League. So it’s all going to be okay!

The beginning of tonight’s game couldn’t have gone any better. After a stint on the 10-day Injury List, Reds opening day starter Sonny Gray returned to the mound and retired the side in the top of the first in 11 pitches, including two strikeouts.

During the bottom of the first, Aristides Aquino reached second base via an error and Nick Castellanos followed it up with a two-run Home Run to put Cincinnati up 2-0 before they even recorded an out.

You see class, this is how you hit a home run. Any other questions? pic.twitter.com/2z25EZjCld

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 22, 2020

The offense would threaten a handful of times the rest of the way, but they could never push across another run. The Reds finished 1-8 at the plate with Runners In Scoring Position and left six on base.

The Brewers scored their first and only run off of Sonny Gray in the fifth inning off of a Tyrone Taylor two-out Home Run to centerfield.

They would go on to add two more runs to take the lead in the top of the seventh on an Orlando Arcia sacrifice fly and an Eric Sogard double. Daniel Vogelbach and Jedd Gyorko began the inning with a single and a double, respectively.

The Brewers 3-2 victory improved their record to 27-27 while the Reds fell back to .500 at 28-28. Tomorrow evening the National League Central rivals will play the series rubber match at 6:40 p.m. EST. NL Cy Young candidate Trevor Bauer will take the mound on short rest for the Reds against Adrian Houser of the Brewers.

Playoff Picture

The Washington Nationals swept a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies, including an extra-inning walk-off in Game Two, which drops the Phillies to a full game behind the Reds.

The Reds still remain in 7th place in the National League playoff standings thanks to tiebreakers over the Brewers (head-to-head record) and Giants (inter-division record).

The Cardinals also defeated the Royals 5-0 which moves them a game ahead of the Reds for second place in the National League Central.

The Marlins fell 11-1 to the Braves and are just a half a game ahead of the Reds in the National League standings.

In the late night, west coast game, the Giants beat the Rockies 5-2 to earn a tie in the Wild Card standings with the Reds and Brewers.

@BRamseyKSR