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Elly De La Cruz drove in four runs with a two-run home run and a single to lift the Reds to a 6-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.
"I'm not sure you can equate but it gave me energy," Francona said.
Andrew Abbott improved to 4-0 and dropped his ERA to 1.77 with 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits and two walks. He struck out two but navigated through a hot Cubs lineup.
In five May starts Abbott allowed two runs in 25 2/3 innings.
"His pitch count was very manageable," Francona said. "Some of their right hand hitters. There were some close misses. He had given us enough that I thought we could get it to the end."
The Reds scored in the first inning for the second straight game. Elly De La Cruz hit his ninth home run of the season off Colin Rea with Santiago Espinal on base with a walk.
Reds' starter Andrew Abbott gave up a hit to Kyle Tucker in the first inning. It was the first hit Abbott allowed in the first inning in 10 games dating back to last season.
"The guys made some good catches on some of those. They hit some mistakes and hit them hard but I didn't fall behind a lot and made pitches when I had to," Abbott.
Former Reds' minor leaguer, Justin Turner hit his first home run of the season to cut the Reds' lead in half.
The Reds added a run in the fourth on a long sacrifice fly by Will Benson, that Pete Crow-Armstrong caught against the fence.
TJ Friedl singled to open the Reds' fifth. Espinal bunted for a single that put Friedl took second on Rea's throwing error. Espinal took second when the ball got away from catcher, Miguel Amaya. De La Cruz singled to make the score 5-1. De La Cruz stole second and Spencer Steer delivered him with a single to center and extended his hitting streak to 12 games and a career-long 15 games on base streak.
"It is always important to add runs, every time," De La Cruz said.
The Cubs got a run off Graham Ashcraft. Carson Kelly singled and Matt Shaw hit a double down the right field line. Kelly scored on a ground out by Ian Happ. Ashcraft struck out Tucker on a 3-2 pitch.
Crow-Armstrong drove in Seiya Suzuki with a sacrifice fly in the eighth off Tony Santillan.
Emilio Pagan entered the ninth. Kelly hit his ninth home run to leadoff the inning but struck out two and retired Tucker on a routine fly for his 13th save.
"There was bending in the bullpen but they didn't break," Francona said. "They competed like crazy and each of them got their big outs."
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