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CINCINNATI — The Mets’ chances of missing the postseason have decreased dramatically over the past two weeks, partly because of their own play but also the competition’s.

One of those hopefuls, the Reds, has responded to the playoff challenge by going 3-10 since Aug. 18, falling almost to the wayside in the National League wild-card race. It’s those same Reds who face the Mets for three games beginning Friday night.

The Mets lead the Reds by six games for the NL’s third and final wild-card spot, but the surging Giants have entered the mix and stand between the two teams, four games behind Carlos Mendoza’s crew.

So, the Mets — who as of Thursday held a 94.8 percent chance of reaching the playoffs, according to Fangraphs — might not essentially end the wild-card race this weekend, regardless of how they fare on the banks of the Ohio River.