Every run counts for the Cincinnati Reds.
They entered Thursday’s action one game behind the New York Mets in the NL Wild Card standings.
And playing against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Reds appeared to have the lead.
T.J. Friedl laced a double to the gap, and Ke’Bryan Hayes was motoring around the bases from first.
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The Pirates had a strong relay, but Hayes was called safe for his headfirst slide into home plate.
That made it 1-0 Reds in the fifth.
Except, it went to replay review, and the bang-bang call was overturned.
After review, Ke’Bryan Hayes is called out at the plate and the game remains tied! pic.twitter.com/XlR9MPXPwT
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 25, 2025
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It’s one of those plays that almost seems too close to overturn. But slowed down enough, there seems to be one frame where Joey Bart has the tag on Hayes before Hayes could’ve been touching the plate.
It’s a brutal blow to the Reds’ chances. They could’ve won Wednesday night and reclaimed control of their Wild Card destiny, but they lost in 11 innings to the Pirates.
Now, this call could loom large in the outcome of the season, too.
The good news: The Reds quickly plated a couple runs in the inning anyway to take the lead. But you never know how much one extra run might matter in the end.
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