'It’s our time': Reds ride early offense, sturdy 'pen to victory

CHICAGO -- For multiple reasons on Monday, the Reds -- especially their rubber-armed bullpen -- had to dig deeper than usual to get through a surging Cubs team. Now they will watch to see if they get more help for the stretch run.

The team traveled overnight from Los Angeles to its third city of the road trip to face Chicago in the first of four games. Starting pitcher Andrew Abbott wasn't tip-top and the already overworked bullpen had to pick him up. But it still ended with a 6-5 victory at Wrigley Field, Cincinnati's ninth win in its last 12 games.

"It’s a genuine challenge making the West Coast-to-Midwest or East Coast trip, especially when it’s game-game with no downtime in between," said first baseman Joey Votto, who was 2-for-4 with an RBI. "This is not a complaint, but physically you don’t feel quite as sharp. I think there’s an advantage in having a younger team in this instance where guys don’t feel it. I felt it, but I know how to prepare. I’ve been doing this for a bit."

The win, combined with another Brewers loss, extended the first-place Reds' lead to 1 1/2 games in the National League Central division race. The Cubs are five games back.

Votto's two-out single off Cubs starter Marcus Stroman in the second inning started a three-run rally that included Will Benson's RBI double to right field and Luke Maile's two-run double to left-center field for a 3-0 lead.

The three-run third inning included RBI singles by Jake Fraley and Votto to stake Abbott to a 6-1 lead. But the game became anything but smooth.

Abbott pitched a career-low 3 1/3 innings while allowing four earned runs, five hits and three walks with five strikeouts. It was only the third time in his 11 big league starts that the lefty didn't notch six innings and a quality start.

"Just another one of those games where I didn’t have the best command that I’ve shown. They hit all the mistakes," said Abbott, who has a 2.35 ERA.

After Abbott left in the fourth inning with one out and a runner on first base, Buck Farmer -- normally a late-inning option -- entered. Farmer picked up an inning-ending double play and followed with two strikeouts during a perfect fifth.

Fernando Cruz, Alex Young, Lucas Sims, Ian Gibaut and closer Alexis Díaz finished the game.

"I hate doing it to them in that fashion," Abbott said of the bullpen. "But that’s why those guys are here and that’s why half of them have 51 appearances. They’ve been doing it the entire year. I have a lot of trust in them. I’m sure everybody else does, too."

Díaz, Farmer and Gibaut are tied for the NL lead with 50 appearances. Young is tied for second with 49. Despite the significant use, Reds relievers are fifth in the NL with a 3.86 ERA.

"When the game is handed over to us, it’s like, ‘Alright, it’s our time.’ That’s what we think," said Young, who faced one batter and got a fielder's choice to end the sixth inning. "When it’s handed over to us, it’s our game now. That’s the mentality we have down there.”

Even in a win, the game highlights why the Reds could use reinforcements ahead of Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline. A lefty reliever, Sam Moll, was acquired from the A's shortly before Monday's game. More bullpen help could be on the way, and the club has also pursued starting pitching.

Even if no one else comes, Reds players aren't pleading for additions.

"I think there’s not an arrogance, but a pride [that], 'Eh, we’re good. We’ve got it.’ Not in a dismissive way, because talent is talent," Votto said. “I feel genuinely that the entire group is like, ‘We can do it.’ It’s that optimistic, aggressive sort of attitude that they’ve had all year."

Even another veteran, like Maile, didn't feel there was a need to pay attention to what the Reds do -- or don't do -- at the Trade Deadline.

"It’s out of our control," Maile said. "We get on the bus every day at 2 o’clock or whatever, and the 26 guys we’ve got, that's what we have. No one is playing GM. It’s never a great idea to do that anyway. Certainly, when you have a winning team, we like the guys here. If there’s adjustments we make to make us better, so be it.”