Volquez earned rave reviews from opposing batters by pitching 7 1/3 strong innings to help the Cincinnati Reds beat Houston 2-1 on Tuesday night and push the Astros to the brink of playoff elimination.

With the Mets’ win over Chicago, Houston fell 4½ games behind New York in the National League wild-card standings with five games left. A loss and a Mets win Wednesday would eliminate the Astros from contention for the playoffs.

“We are disappointed that we let a golden opportunity slide tonight,” Astros manager Cecil Cooper said.

Volquez (17-6) won in his fifth attempt to get his 17th victory. He had three no-decisions and a loss since winning Aug. 29 against San Francisco. He allowed one run, struck out nine batters and scattered six hits in the longest outing of his career. He walked one.

“Volquez was fantastic,” Votto said. “I’ve never heard so many rave reviews at first base. The runners stopped and said he had the best stuff they’d seen.

“He was pretty electric. You don’t see that many guys look that foolish on pitches the way he was making them look and you’re talking about good hitters.”

Reds manager Dusty Baker agreed.

“He pitched lights-out,” Baker said. “He focused big-time and had his rhythm going. He didn’t throw it out of the zone like he had been doing lately.”

Volquez credited not throwing a bullpen session between starts.

“I felt good,” he said. “My slider worked good tonight and my changeup was good. I think it was a really good game tonight. The ball was coming out of my fingers easy and hitting 96 and 97.”

The Astros were impressed.

“He throws 98 miles an hour with a nasty changeup and a great slider,” Houston shortstop Miguel Tejada said. “I mean, that guy pitches like Cy Young. You face a guy like Volquez, you’ve got to make the extra (things) because hit-by-hit you’re not going to beat him. He’s so tough he can strike out the next three guys.”

Francisco Cordero pitched the ninth for his 34th save in 40 tries. He got Ty Wiggington to hit into a line drive double play with the tying run on second.

Wandy Rodriguez (8-7) gave up two unearned runs and six hits in five innings. He struck out seven and walked two.

The Reds scored in the first when Votto’s looping fly to left was misplayed by Wigginton for a three-base error. That drove in Jeff Keppinger, who had singled.

Jolbert Cabrera then drove in Votto with a single to make it 2-0.

Kazuo Matsui led off the first with a home run to left. It was his sixth of the season.

In the seventh inning, umpires used the instant replay to verify a hit by Votto was not a home run.

Replays appeared to show the ball hit the top of the right-field fence, bounced into an empty seat and rebounded back on the field. But officials ruled it stayed in play for a single.