Wild Card Watch Game Chat: CIN vs. STL and SF vs. AZ

The Mets enter their off day Monday with a hold on the final Wild Card spot in the National League. The Cubs, who hold the top Wild Card spot, can clinch a postseason berth as early as Tuesday, leaving just two spots remaining. The Padres currently have the second spot, five games ahead of the Mets. Of course, San Diego enters Queens on Tuesday for a three-game series with the Mets. While a Mets sweep won’t give them the second spot, it’ll put them in a great spot moving forward.

The Giants, who were sellers at the deadline, are next in line for a Wild Card spot, 1.5 games behind the Mets. However, if they were to tie the Mets for the final spot, the Mets hold the season series victory over the Giants, and would make the postseason. The Diamondbacks sit two games behind the Mets, followed by the Reds at 2.5 games behind. The Cardinals, if they make a run for it, sit four games behind the Mets.

Importantly, the Reds hold the tiebreaker over the Mets in 2025, but the Mets and D-backs tied their season series.

Cincinnati Reds @ St. Louis Cardinals, 7:45 PM ET

RHP Zack Littell (9-8, 3.78 ERA) vs. LHP Matthew Liberatore (7-12, 4.35 ERA)

The Cardinals have had the slight upper hand on the Reds in 2025, besting them 6-4 in the 10 times they’ve faced each other. The Reds were swept by the Athletics over the weekend and look to reclaim their ground in the Wild Card race with a strong showing in St. Louis. Littell faced the Cards once as a member of the Reds in 2025, going seven innings while allowing four runs (three earned) and four strikeouts.

Against the Reds in 2025, Liberatore has allowed 10 hits, three home runs, and batters are hitting .303/.351/.606 against him in 33 at-bats.

San Francisco Giants @ Arizona Diamondbacks, 9:40 PM ET

RHP Kai-Wei Teng (2-4, 7.54 ERA) vs. RHP Zac Gallen (11-14, 4.84 ERA)

The Giants find themselves coming off a losing series against the Dodgers, while the D-backs won their series in Minnesota (albeit one heartbreaking extra-innings loss). Both teams have seen their fair share of ups and downs, but things have been clicking recently. San Francisco is reportedly calling up their number one prospect, 1B Bryce Eldridge, per the SF Chronicle‘s Susan Slusser, to help make the final push. In Arizona, SS Geraldo Perdomo has been scorching the past week, batting .438/.609/.813 over his past seven games. Gabriel Moreno has taken fire as well, and the bats are sizzling. 

Zac Gallen hasn’t had a Gallen-like year, but has dominated the Giants. In 48 bats against him, San Francisco hasn’t fared well, hitting .208/.250/.458 with 10 hits and 13 strikeouts. Willy Adames has done the most damage against Gallen, rocketing two homers in his six at-bats against him.

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