CHICAGO — The Mets will need to close out their series against the Cubs with a win to remain in control of their playoff destiny on Thursday night at Wrigley Field.

The Reds opened the afternoon with a 2-1 victory over the Pirates at home to move within a half-game of the Mets for the final Wild Card spot in the National League.

With one out in the ninth inning, the Reds' Noelvi Marte robbed Bryan Reynolds of a potentially game-tying home run, leaping to bring back a fly ball at the right-field wall.

If the Mets can take the series against the Cubs at 7:40 p.m. Thursday, they would extend their lead back to one game with three games left to play. The Reds hold the tiebreaker against the Mets based on their season series and would leap-frog them if the Mets were to lose on Thursday night

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