The Mets (76-64) have won seven games in a row thanks to two sweeps of the Sox and will host the non-contender Reds (68-73) for three games in Queens this weekend. And now that they’re tied with the Braves for the third wild card spot and the Padres and Diamondbacks are within reach for first and second, any game against a team like the Reds is a huge opportunity for the Mets.

In a slightly different version of the 2024 season, the Reds could have been in contention for one of those spots themselves. Cincinnati has had a positive run differential for quite some time, even though they’re well behind Wild Card pace and have several teams between them and the third Wild Card spot. As of this morning, they’re +21 runs on the season.

The Reds have simply been a pretty bad team at bat this year. Their 91 wRC+ this season ranks 25th in baseball. For comparison, the Mets are seventh with a 111 wRC+. They have been decent on the mound, however, as their 4.13 ERA ranks 16th, just one spot behind the Mets, who rank 15th with a 4.02 ERA.

Elly De La Cruz is having a fantastic season for Cincinnati, as he’s already stolen 62 bases and has a pretty solid .263/.344/.478 line and a 122 wRC+. And when it comes to notable Reds, Alexis Díaz — the brother of Mets closer Edwin — is still the Reds’ closer. But he’s posted a 4.56 ERA so far this year, with a lower strikeout rate and higher walk rate than before, when he hit 2.47 in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

The Reds are certainly no pushovers, as their three-game win over the Astros yesterday proves. But in the previous series, the Brewers won three of four games against them. And the Mets really need to keep winning series to increase their chances of getting one of the three Wild Card spots that are in play.

Friday, September 6: Sean Manaea vs. Fernando Cruz at 7:10 p.m. EDT on SNY

Manaea (2024): 150.2 IP, 154 K, 54 BB, 16 HR, 3.35 ERA, 3.74 FIP, 84 ERA-

If you had to pick a pitcher to win a game for the Mets right now, it would almost certainly be Manaea. Without wanting to offend David Peterson, Manaea looks like the Mets’ top hitter right now and is the pitcher most likely to be capable of 10 strikeouts or more in a single start. In his last seven starts, Manaea has a 2.42 ERA with 10.68 strikeouts per nine and just 1.81 walks per nine.

Cruz (2024): 57.2 IP, 90 K, 30 BB, 7 HR, 4.99 ERA, 3.25 FIP, 114 ERA-

After spending most of the season as a reliever with a lot of strikeouts and a high ERA, Cruz has been in the starting lineup since late August. This is only his third start, and he has only thrown a total of five innings in the first two. The results in those outings were good, however, as he allowed 11 strikeouts and just one walk in those five innings.

Saturday, September 7: Jose Quintana vs. TBD at 4:10 p.m. EDT on SNY

Quintana (2024): 145.1 IP, 112 K, 57 BB, 22 HR, 4.27 ERA, 5.02 FIP, 108 ERA-

If Manaea is the Mets’ most trusted pitcher right now, Quintana is the opposite. His last few starts, against the Padres and White Sox, have gone well. But he’s been the one in the rotation most prone to disastrous outings this year, and in the seven starts before these two most recent outings, he had a 6.27 ERA. Let’s hope the good Quintana gets more use than the bad one the rest of the game.

Sunday, September 8: Luis Severino vs. TBD at 1:40 p.m. EDT on SNY

Severino-Sergio (2024): 159.1 IP, 136 K, 54 BB, 19 HR, 3.84 ERA, 4.25 FIP, 105 ERA-

In his last four starts, Severino has been much better than he was in July and the first half of August. In those four outings, he posted a 2.10 ERA in 25.2 innings with solid strikeout and walk rates. During the bad stretch mentioned above, Severino had a 6.19 ERA over the course of seven starts and seemed to be heading more in the direction of Quintana than Manaea. He has recovered well and the Mets still need him as a number two or three starter.