CINCINNATI — Reds pitcher Nick Lodolo struck out 12 batters and then exited with a groin injury on Thursday in a dominant performance that helped his team stay within a game of the New York Mets for the final NL wild card.
Lodolo left the 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates with one out in the seventh inning. The Reds said he was taken out for precautionary reasons.
The left-hander allowed two hits, one walk and allowed no runs. His dozen strikeouts tied a career high, having also struck out 12 against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 8, 2023.
It was his seventh double-digit strikeout game.
The victory for Lodolo (9-8) and the Reds was preserved when right fielder Noelvi Marte recorded the final two outs, including robbing Bryan Reynolds of a home run with a spectacular catch over the wall.
Cincinnati (81-78) has the tiebreaker over the Mets (82-77), who beat the Cubs, and Arizona (80-79), which lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
