(Photo credit: Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

The playoff-hungry Cincinnati Reds are playing their best baseball at the right time, and they hope that continues Tuesday night against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates as the two teams open a three-game set.

It marks the final three home games for the Reds (80-76), who have won five straight and have caught the New York Mets for the third and final wild-card spot in the National League.

If the Reds and Mets finish at the same record, the Reds hold the tiebreaker and would clinch their first playoff berth since 2020 and their first in a full season since 2013.

On Sunday, the Reds completed a four-game series sweep of the visiting Chicago Cubs with a 1-0 victory. Nick Martinez came out of the bullpen and tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings to rescue starter Andrew Abbott and register the win.

'You can't kill us,' Martinez said. 'This was the biggest series of the season so far, and we've got a couple of more big ones.'

On Sept. 5, the Reds lost to the Mets 5-4 when they loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth and failed to score. They won the next two games and are 10-5 in their last 15. The Mets, who led the Reds by six games after that Friday night game, have lost 11 of 15 to fall into a tie.

Lux delivered the only run in Sunday's 1-0 win, with a two-out RBI double to right.

'We've kind of grinded,' Lux said. 'We've had some highs, a lot of lows, and I think to get hot right now, it's great. We deserve it. We've grinded out, and we're seeing the rewards at the end here. But we've got to finish it.'

Tony Santillan finished off the game Sunday for his seventh save.

'It feels good for the team,' Santillan said. 'We always believed in each other, and we knew we wouldn't go down without a fight. This game meant a lot, obviously. Now we've got to finish strong and kind of keep pushing, keep playing this kind of brand of baseball. Chip on our shoulders, come back and be ready to go Tuesday.'

The Reds will send right-hander Brady Singer (14-10, 3.86 ERA) to the mound for his team-leading 31st start of the season. Singer is 1-2 this season against Pittsburgh in three previous starts, allowing 13 hits and nine runs over 13 2/3 innings.

The Pirates (67-89) counter with right-hander Johan Oviedo (2-0, 3.52), making his eighth start of the season. Oviedo is making his first start against Cincinnati this season but his sixth career. He's gone 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA against the Reds all-time.

MLB.com reported that the Pirates are preparing to promote one of their top pitching prospects in 24-year-old left-hander Hunter Barco, who posted a 3.79 ERA over 21 appearances (17 starts) with Triple-A Indianapolis.

The Pirates are coming off an 11-0 win over the Athletics at home Sunday, finishing their home schedule with a 44-37 home mark, their most home wins since 2018. The three-game set in Cincinnati opens a season-ending six-game road trip.

'We've played really well at home and against some really good teams, too,' Pirates manager Don Kelly said. 'We've got to switch it on the road, you know? Take these home victories and the way that we played at home and play that way on the road, too.'

--Field Level Media