Not that long ago Kyler Fackrell Jersey , the Chicago Cubs probably viewed a series against the Cincinnati Reds as a near-guaranteed way to pick up some quick victories and gain some ground in the National League Central standings.

Those days have changed. And so is the Cubs-Reds rivalry.

The Cubs couldn’t hold a multi-run lead for the second straight night, and the Reds won their fifth in a row and eighth in 10 games — quite a run for a team that played .250 ball for the first month-plus of the season — by rallying for a 6-3 victory on Friday night.

Now, the Cubs are expected to ask their bullpen to carry them through the third game of the four-game series Saturday at Great American Ball Park — a series that isn’t going much like most of those Cubs-Reds matchups for the last four seasons.

Going into the series, the Cubs were 43-19 against the Reds since 2015, but the Reds are playing much differently now than they did when they were 8-27 on May 7. They’re 4-0 on their current homestand, even though they still remain well below .500 at 30-45.

“Even when we were losing, they (his veteran players) felt like, ‘We’re a good ballclub, we’re going to get our share (of wins),'” Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said. “(When) we’re on a roll like this, they feel like we’re just going to keep going with it.”

Eugenio Suarez lifted his average to .304 by going 3-for-4 with a go-ahead two-run homer in the fifth inning off Jose Quintana (6-6) and Joey Votto had two hits and an RBI. Quintana gave up four runs and nine hits in five innings.

“We’re playing really good baseball,” Suarez said. “We’ve got to keep doing what we’re doing — and keep winning. If we play like this, something good is going to happen.”

The Cubs scored three times against Reds starter Luis Castillo (5-8) in 5 2/3 innings — Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run homer in the fourth — but former Cleveland Indians pitcher Kyle Crockett pitched out of a two-on jam in the sixth in his Reds debut.

The Cubs managed only four hits in the game, David Hernandez pitched two scoreless innings and Raisel Iglesias finished in the ninth for his 12th save.

The Cincinnati bullpen has pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings in the series so far.

“That was one of the cleaner games we’re played — offensively, defensively, we ran the bases well … and got timely hits,” Riggleman said. “When you do that, you’re probably going to win.”

Now, the Reds have the improving Anthony DeSclafani (2-1) pitching Saturday. The right-hander missed the first two months of the season with an oblique injury after sitting out all of last season with an elbow injury, but he has won his last two starts while lowering his ERA from 7.60 to 4.20.

He’s 2-2 in seven career starts against the Cubs Jake Ryan Jersey , and he handles Chicago cleanup hitter Anthony Rizzo (2-for-20, .100) especially well.

It’s expected to be a bullpen game for the Cubs, with former Reds pitcher Luke Farrell (2-2) making his first start of the season and only the second of his major league career. The longest he has pitched this season was five shutout relief innings during the Cubs’ 7-1, 14-inning victory over the New York Mets on June 2.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon stayed with his recent experiment of using slugger Kris Bryant as a leadoff hitter — he was 9-for-24 (.375) with three RBIs in that spot going into the game — but he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

“He gets on base a lot, he’s possibly one of the best baserunners on the team,” Maddon told reporters. “It’s one of those things — preconceived notions — that you get hung up on. But I like what he’s doing. When the bottom of the order has been productive, there’s a potential for a lot of baserunners in the one-hole.”

Only there wasn’t any such potential Friday as the Cubs’ No. 7-8-9 batters were a combined 0-for-9. It also didn’t help that Rizzo went 0-for-4 and stranded three runners.

And, now, suddenly the Cubs-Reds rivalry isn’t what it used to be.

The Colorado Rockies have been getting contributions from the top to the bottom of their lineup.

Especially the bottom.

The Rockies got three RBIs from their No. 9 hitter for the second consecutive day, beating the host Seattle Mariners 5-1 on Saturday to extend their winning streak to five games.

They’ll go for the sweep Sunday afternoon at Safeco Field, where right-hander Antonio Senzatela (3-1, 4.44 ERA) takes on Seattle left-hander Wade LeBlanc (4-0, 3.19).

On Friday, catcher Tony Wolters had two triples and three RBIs from the ninth spot as the Rockies won 7-1. On Saturday, rookie right fielder Noel Cuevas had three hits, including a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning off Mariners ace James Paxton.

“That’s what happens when you go on a little run of wins. The contributions are coming from multiple guys, whether it’s bench players or the guy getting the start. … You’re going to get tired of hearing me say that it’s going to take 25 guys, but it’s truly the case,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “We can’t just rely on our main guys. This team is in a good spot. I like how we are kind of coming together with this group and we have to continue.”

The top three batters in the Rockies’ order — DJ LeMahieu, Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado — combined to go 0-for-14 with seven strikeouts on Saturday. But the bottom three — Pat Valaika Seth Jones Jersey , Gerardo Parra and Cuevas — had seven of the team’s 10 hits.

“It’s a team sport; definitely today was the example,” Cuevas said. “The top of the order didn’t have the day that it wanted. We were able to get out with a ‘W,’ because the bottom of the order did their job.”

Cuevas’ homer, the second of his career, came one pitch after he failed to get down a squeeze bunt.

“I wasn’t happy at that moment that I missed it (the bunt) — we were trying to get that run in,” Cuevas said. “But after that, it was short memory. I missed it. So what? Next pitch, I can’t remember that I just missed the bunt. I need to be ready for that pitch. That was it.”

Right-hander German Marquez and left-hander Kyle Freeland gave up one solo home run apiece in the first two games of the series. Freeland was gone by the time Cuevas homered Saturday, making a winner of reliever Scott Oberg.

“The bullpen is doing a nice job, but it starts with starting pitching, keeping us in games and doing their job,” Black said. “We will be at it (Sunday) and hopefully Antonio (Senzatela) can do what the crew has done over the last 10 days.”

Mariners right fielder Mitch Haniger returned to the lineup Saturday after missing two games with a sprained right knee, but second baseman Dee Gordon was limited to pinch-hitting duties after tweaking his hip Friday night. And catcher Mike Zunino is on the 10-day disabled list with a bruised left ankle.

“We’re a little banged up right now,” said Mariners manager Scott Servais, whose team had won nine of 10 games entering the series. “It happens. It’s part of what you go through in a long season like this.”

Senzatela faced the Mariners once as a rookie last season, a 5-0 loss at Safeco Field. He went five innings and allowed four runs, five hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.

LeBlanc is 2-3 with a 6.53 ERA in nine career appearances (seven starts) against the Rockies.