WEST SACRAMENTO – A team that wasn't swept in a series all season until late last month – Aug. 25-27 at the Dodgers – the contending Reds likely would never dream that the second club to hand them a three-game sweep would be the non-contending, last-place A's.

That's more like a nightmare scenario, except it actually happened. Cincinnati was handed a 7-4 defeat on Sunday as the Athletics completed the sweep at Sutter Health Park.

Unlike the previous two losses, this one put a bigger dent in the Reds' playoff hopes. The Mets (77-73) ended their eight-game losing streak with a win over the Rangers to knock Cincinnati (74-75) to 2 1/2 games out for the final National League Wild Card spot .

The Reds' slide has also enabled two teams to get between them and the Mets. The Giants (75-73,

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