CINCINNATI -- Maybe it’s best the Chicago Cubs flush their system once a week or so. It provides work for the bullpen while keeping the entire team on its toes. That’s the positive spin to Saturday’s 13-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

What looked to be a third consecutive victory over Cincinnati quickly turned when the Reds put up seven runs in the sixth inning, then added two more in both the seventh and eighth innings to thwart any comeback hopes for the visitors. Pitching and defense were not at their best for a Cubs team that entered Saturday tied for the best record in baseball.

Before the game, Chicago manager Joe Maddon discussed the difficulty of finding innings for his bullpen -- so good had his starting staff been through the first 17 games. He found some this night when John Lackey got knocked out in the sixth, allowing six runs. The bullpen got its work, but it wasn’t very effective. Trevor Cahill poured gasoline on the fire, giving up a three-run home run and a solo shot after Lackey exited. Neil Ramirez and Clayton Richard weren’t sharp, either. But maybe that’s inevitable when the relief staff is used so little, with just 37 innings pitched coming into this game.

So whether the Cubs were going to lose 2-1 or 13-5, there might be a positive out of it all, strange as that might sound. There’s a good chance that if any of those relievers are used Sunday they’ll be a little sharper. We can’t be as sure about Lackey unless there’s a big game at hand. So far he’s risen to the occasion against his former team, the St. Louis Cardinals, but struggled a little bit in between. It’s only one loss, but a really bad one.