The Cincinnati Reds refuse to go away in the 2023 NL wild-card race. The Reds beat the Chicago Cubs Friday night in the second game of a doubleheader, picking up a much-needed victory. Cincinnati rallied in the ninth inning, picking up a game on their division rivals in the standings and pulling within one game of the final NL playoff spot.

The Reds' win over the Cubs came amid the loss of several key players. Hunter Greene, Ben Lively and Fernando Cruz all went on the seven-day COVID-19 list shortly before Friday's doubleheader. When Chicago beat Cincinnati in Game 1, starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft exited with a toe injury. With the Reds in need of someone to stop the bleeding, Nick Martini and Noelvi Marte stepped up.

Martini's ninth-inning home run tied the game. Marte ended the contest with an RBI single. It wasn't lost on the Reds' players how important it was to avoid being swept by the Cubs.

“I think it was massive, especially against a team like that, that’s been playing well,” Martini said, via MLB.com. “To be able to come back in the ninth hopefully gives us a big boost.”

Elly De La Cruz was called up in June and the Reds became surprise playoff contenders. A 10-17 record in August suggested that maybe Cincinnati was still a year away from playing meaningful October baseball.

The Reds' wild-card hopes, however, are still very much alive.

“In this game, you’re prepared for anything, and you have to make adjustments,” manager David Bell said between games. “Every single team, every World Series team, everyone goes through challenges. I’m proud of how our team and our players have handled all those challenges to this point. It’s that simple. Beyond that, you can’t control anything.”