Cincinnati Reds bullpen shows why it says it doesn't need help at the MLB trade deadline

CHICAGO — The Cincinnati Reds traded for bullpen help Monday before opening a key series against the Chicago Cubs.

To which the Reds bullpen replied, what for?

The three most heavily used relievers in the National League were at it again Monday at Wrigley Field, joining a parade of six Reds relievers total for the unfair share of work in the division-leading Reds’ 6-5 victory over the Cubs.

"They’ve been this way all year," said Joey Votto, who singled twice and drove in a run. "It just felt like it was in the rhythm of how they’ve performed all year."

The six-man, 5 2/3-inning effort by the pen included All-Star closer Alexis Díaz, who earned his MLB-leading 32nd save with a 1-2-3 ninth, as the Reds extended their division lead to 1 1/2 games over the second-place Brewers and 5 games over the third-place Cubs.

National League relief appearance leaders

Díaz, Buck Farmer and Ian Gibaut all pitched in relief of starter Andrew Abbott, who didn’t get out of the fourth, to all maintain their share of the National League lead in appearances at 50 each. Alex Young kept pace with his 49th.

“I should feel like a slacker compared to them,” said Young, the only lefty in the pen for most of the season — who got some lefty help with the load when the Reds traded a pitching prospect for Sam Moll from the Oakland A’s Monday.

“We’ll get to 50 probably tomorrow,” Young added with a smile.

Young, a former teammate of Moll, said he welcomes the addition, but also said, "I don't mind going out there every day."

That's one voice in the chorus singing to the season-long rhythm of one of the three heaviest workloads in the National League.

“We’re aware of it,” said Lucas Sims, who in his 45th appearance of the year, stranded two runners in the seventh by striking out the Cubs’ Nos. 2 and 3 hitters, then getting cleanup hitter Cody Bellinger on a pop to short.

“But it’s also something you take pride in,” he said. “Being available and wanting to go out there and take the ball. And not just take it but go out there and do your job and try to do it well.

“I think it’s an attitude that’s contagious. So much of it’s a mindset.”

Relievers not phased by Sam Moll trade

Whether they can achieve mind over such matters for the full six months, general manager Nick Krall made sure the relief crew got at least some help Monday with Moll. And he was continuing to work on more help as the clock to the trade deadline ticked inside of 20 hours.

“That’s not something we pay attention to. It’s out of our control,” Sims said of how much the front office adds at the deadline. “We’re going to war with the 26 that we have active. Whatever comes about.

“It’s all fun chatter, I guess. But for the most part it’s really all just noise. No one’s really all that concerned or talking about it. We’re just going to keep plugging away,” he said. “Our goal is to win the division and win a World Series.

“And you can’t do it right now, in July and August,” he added.

Monday’s effort didn’t hurt.

The Reds scored three times each in the second and third off Cubs All-Star Marcus Stroman and – thanks to the bullpen – held on.

“When the game’s handed over to us, it’s like, ‘All right, it’s our time,’ “ Young said. “When it’s handed over to us, it’s our game now. That’s the mentality we have down there.”

Seventh inning? Fourth inning?

“Doesn’t matter,” Young said. “It’s like, just go out there and win the game. I think everyone’s done what they needed to do, no matter what inning it is.”

Sims pitching out of a jam after hitting the first batter of the seventh and walking the next was one of the biggest moments in the game, with the Reds leading by two. And it proved especially big when back-to-back one-out doubles off Gibaut in the eighth by the Cubs made it a one-run game.

"To see Lucas get himself out of that situation, which he’s done multiple times this year and finished innings, it’s a testament to how competitive [he and the rest of the pen are]," Votto said. "Not just competitive, but these guys want to prove something.

"It’s cool to be around guys like that."

Whatever happens next, the Reds open August in first place for the first time since 2012, and they seem to think they already have what it takes to finish the job.

“Whatever happens at the deadline happens. We can’t control it,” said center fielder TJ Friedl, who walked twice and scored Monday. "If everything stays the same, cool. We go with that. If we add a couple pieces or lose some guys – it’s always tough losing teammates, especially in a clubhouse like this, but it’s baseball.

“All we can control is our effort. We just need to take care of what’s happening on the field.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds' bullpen comes up big again in win over Chicago Cubs