McCoy: Reds end regular season on high note, take momentum into postseason

In an amazing twist during these pandemic times, four of the five National League Central teams qualified for the playoffs — Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Milwaukee with its 29-31 record.

And the Reds sashay off to Atlanta on a confident highnote after taking two of three from the explosive Minnesota Twins to win their fifth straight series.

On Sunday, their final regular-season game, the Reds played only their second extra-inning game and recorded a 5-3 victory, enabling them to finish the season two games over .500 at 31-29.

It was an amazing accomplishment because the Reds were 16-21 in early September, floating on dead waters. But a 15-8 September put them in a Hunt for Red October.

“We’re headed to Atlanta and sure was nice to see everybody play so well to end the regular season,” said Reds manager David Bell. “We’ve intentionally not thought about the Braves. Now we have to start thinking about a lot of things. We’re really thinking good about ourselves and about our team.”

Relief pitcher Amir Garrett said out loud what all the Reds are thinking.

“Now that we’re in, it is time to go,” Garrett said. “We have a legitimate shot at this. Our team is scary.”

The Reds scored three runs in the top of the 10th to pull this one out, a run-scoring single by Tucker Barnhart, a bases-loaded walk by Joey Votto and a run-producing single by Eugenio Suarez.

Reds starter Sonny Gray tuned up for his post-season appearance by giving up two runs and only two hits over 5 2/3 innings, with four walks and four strikeouts.

Asked about his finishing the season with a winning record, Gray said, "Yeah, it was big. We wanted to finish the season over .500 and we clawed to get back to .500 over the course of this 60-game season.

“This was something none of us had ever experience, ever been though before (60-game season),” he added. “Ending the season above .500 after being under it for so long ... and winning five series in a row after not winning many at all ... we feel very good at where we are. We wanted to finish with some energy and finish on a high note.”

Gray pitched one time through the Twins batting order as if pitching in a rocking chair — nine up, nine down. Only one ball reached the outfield and seven went down on ground balls, three back to Gray. And he didn’t have a strikeout.

He solved the strikeout drought by whiffing Max Kepler to open the fourth. Then he gave up a double to Luis Arraez, who had three doubles Saturday night. Arraez took third on a wild pitch and Gray walked Nelson Cruz on four pitches.

Gray escaped when second baseman Kyle Farmer started an above-and-beyond inning concluding double play, a play Bell called the best he has seen this season.

“The play-of-the-year happened today,” he said. “Farmer made an unbelievable play. I really believe that was the best play we’ve had all year.”

The Twins, though, broke through for a run in the fiftrh in bizarre manner by scoring a run without a hit. Gray walked Jake Cave on a full count to start the inning. He took second on a ground ball and moved to third on a wild pitch.

Cave bluffed breaking for home during Gray’s delivery and Gray stepped off the rubber in mid-delivery ... a balk. Cave trotted home.

And then the Reds were gifted a run in the sixth after Hill walked Joey Votto with two outs.

The Twins brought in former Reds pitcher Matt Wisler to face Eugenio Suarez. Suarez lifted a fly ball to right. Center fielder Cave and right fielder Kepler each thought the other would catch it. Neither did. The ball plopped to the grass and Votto scored from first base to tie it, 1-1.

Gray encountered difficulties in the bottom of the sixth when he walked Kepler on four pitches and gave up a single to Arraez, his sixth hit in two games after coming off the injured list.

Gray threw a wild pitch, advancing runners to second and third with no outs. He struck out Nelson Cruz on a 10-pitch at bat and Bell brought in reliever Tejay Antone.

Eddie Rosario drove one deep to right on a 0-and-2 count, a sacrifice fly to give the Twins a 2-1 lead.

Bell sent up a parade of left handed pinch-hitters in the seventh, four of them, and it worked for the tying run.

After pinch-hitter Shogo Akiyama flied to left, pinch-hitter Jesse Winker doubled and pinch-hitter Freddy Galvis singled him home to tie it, 2-2. Galvis stole second to get into scoring position, but Curt Casali struck out and pinch-hitter Barnhart struck out.

The Twins put two on with one out against Garrett in the eighth and Lucas Sims arrived from the bullpen to coax an inning-closing double play from Cruz, leaving it at 2-2.

That set it all up for the Reds' 10th-inning uprising to finish the regular season on a very high upbeat as they head to Atlanta.

Trevor Bauer will pitch the first game against Atlana’s Max Friend, 7-0 with a 2.25 earned run average — two pitchers high on the Cy Young Award list.