CINCINNATI -- Three of the more important days for the Reds over the final seven-week stretch of the regular season could be Thursday, Monday and next Thursday, Aug. 17. They are all scheduled off-days.

A stretch of 27 games in 28 days, and heavy reliance on the bullpen all season could finally be catching up to Cincinnati. Even after getting seven superb innings from Graham Ashcraft, his performance was rendered moot when the Marlins handed the Reds a 5-4 defeat on Wednesday at Great American Ball Park. 

Reliever Sam Moll gave up a game-tying three-run home run in the eighth inning, and Alexis Díaz surrendered the go-ahead run on a homer in the ninth. The Reds dropped two of three games in the series and have lost eight of their last nine games.

"We’ve gone through some high stretches this year, obviously, and this past week, it’s been a low stretch," Díaz said through translator Jorge Merlos. "We’ve been losing close games, but it doesn’t mean we’re a bad team or anything like that. We know how to come back from these things."

In the last nine games -- all since the Aug. 1 Trade Deadline -- Ashcraft has accounted for two of the three quality starts, with Brandon Williamson providing the other on Monday vs. Miami. Five of the other starts were fewer than five innings.

In the same stretch, the Reds' bullpen is 0-4 with a 7.36 ERA and worked more than three innings six times. Much more often than not this season, they've been stellar picking up the rotation -- but cracks are showing.

"These guys are professionals. They take great pride in keeping themselves available and effective. And that’s all you can do," Reds manager David Bell said. "Some of it’s to be expected, and for me not alarming. So I think the off-days will really help to get a reset, mentally and physically for our guys in the bullpen, their arms. 

"The bottom line is they are doing a great job of doing everything they can to stay strong and continue to help us win games. And when you do that, you come out of it, and you get a breather naturally with the schedule, and that’ll help a lot."

Ashcraft allowed one earned run and three hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. Over his last eight starts since June 30, he is 3-1 with a 1.94 ERA.

Miami struck first in the game in the top of the fourth inning, when Josh Bell lifted a 2-2 Ashcraft pitch into the left-field seats for a leadoff homer. After that, he retired 12 of his last 13 batters. 

In his last start on Friday against the Nationals, Ashcraft returned for the eighth inning with a two-run lead and gave up a game-tying two-run homer. This time, with 103 pitches, he did not have another inning left in him, especially on a humid day that followed a 36-minute rain delay ahead of first pitch.

“I was pretty gassed. That last inning, I was trying to leave everything I had out on the field," Ashcraft said.

The Reds' offense supported Ashcraft well against ex-Reds ace Johnny Cueto. Spencer Steer hit a game-tying homer in the bottom of the fourth inning, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit a two-run homer to left field that gave the Reds a 3-1 lead. Encarnacion-Strand's RBI single in the sixth added what felt like an insurance run.

In the top of the eighth inning, after Ian Gibaut gave up a one-out single and recorded a strikeout, the left-handed Moll took over. Luis Arraez hit a single before Bell hit a first-pitch sinker for the game-tying three-run homer to right-center field. 

Moll, a former Oakland reliever who was the lone trade acquisition by the Reds, hadn't allowed a run in his first four appearances for his new team.

In the ninth, Díaz's first-pitch fastball was lifted by Bryan De La Cruz for a leadoff homer to right field. It was the just fourth homer he's given up in 53 appearances this season.

While the Reds' rotation ranked 21st in innings and 28th in ERA (5.39) at game's end, their bullpen ranked seventh in innings in the Major Leagues.

Thursday's off-day comes ahead of a three-game series at Pittsburgh. The other two days off next week fall during a homestand vs. the Guardians and Blue Jays.

“It’s going to be great for the whole team, just in general," Díaz said. "Obviously, we know how much we’ve been used. But overall, I feel strong. I feel well enough to compete every day as long as they need me. After this off-day, we’re going to continue on to try and get some more victories coming up.”