(Photo credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images)

The Cincinnati Reds benefited from a sterling pitching performance to begin their four-game series against the Chicago Cubs, then slugged a season-high five homers to take the second game, too.

Winners of three games in a row overall, the Reds will look to continue their pursuit of a postseason spot on Saturday evening when they host the Cubs.

Hunter Greene allowed just one hit in a complete-game gem during Cincinnati's 1-0 victory on Thursday before Spencer Steer belted two homers in a 7-4 triumph on Friday.

The Reds (78-76) remained two games in back of the Mets (80-74) in the race for the final wild-card spot in the National League after New York recorded a 12-6 victory over the Washington Nationals on Friday.

'I'm not a math major, but I know we need to win,' Cincinnati manager Terry Francona said. 'Our guys know that.'

The math adds up to eight games remaining for the Reds, who have two left in this series before finishing the season with three against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates and three on the road against the major-league-best Milwaukee Brewers.

While admittedly an uphill climb, Steer is keeping the faith.

'We're gonna fight to our last game, and we're gonna give you everything we got,' he told FanDuel Sports Network. 'This is what it's all about. This is what you want, a chance to make it into the playoffs.'

Steer made the most of his chances at the plate on Friday, launching a solo homer in the fourth inning and a two-run blast in the sixth.

He briefly held the team lead in homers this season with 20 before Elly De La Cruz joined him when he produced a solo shot in the sixth. The homer was De La Cruz's first since July 31.

Chicago rookie Matt Shaw belted a two-run shot, his 12th homer of the season and 10th since the All-Star break. His blast on Friday gave the Cubs (88-66) a 4-2 lead in the fourth inning, but Chicago surrendered the game's final five runs to lose its second straight contest after clinching a postseason berth.

'I've seen and been a part of teams where sometimes you can have a letdown, in a way, because you can get so emotionally invested,' Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. 'And this group does such a good job of being able to celebrate all the little things along the way, even before (Wednesday).'

Cincinnati's Zack Littell (9-8, 3.86 ERA) will start on Saturday against Chicago's Javier Assad (3-1, 4.23) in a battle of right-handers.

Littell, 29, has seven consecutive no-decisions since he allowed one run on three hits with a season-high eight strikeouts over seven innings in a 5-1 victory over the Cubs on Aug. 5. That game was his Reds debut after he was acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Littell is 2-0 with an 0.71 ERA in seven career appearances (one start) vs. the Cubs.

Assad, 28, posted his third straight win when he permitted just two hits over 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief in a 4-3 victory over the Rays on Sunday.

He is 0-2 with a 3.16 ERA in seven career appearances (five starts) vs. the Reds.

--Field Level Media