By Jeremy Kahn

One of the mainstays that helped the San Francisco Giants into first place in the National League West is their defense, but on this night, it failed them.

The Giants committed a season-high four errors, including two on throwing errors by catcher Hector Sanchez, as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Giants 8-3 at Great American Ballpark.

Returning to a place that he witnessed his opponent Homer Bailey throw a no-hitter on July 2, 2013, Tim Lhincecum last just four and one-thirds innings, allowing eight runs on six hits, walking three and striking out three, as he lost again in the regular season at Great American Ballpark, a stadium he is winless in during his career.

Bailey went six innings, in his first game against the Giants since that historical night and allowed three runs on five hits, with three of those hits coming off the bat of Hunter Pence, who hit a home run, double and single.

Pence gave the Giants a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, as he took a Bailey offering and planted it into the left field seats for his eighth home run of the season.

That would be the lead for all of one-half inning, as Lincecum was unable to hold the lead, as Billy Hamilton stole third and then scored on a throwing error by Lincecum.

Jay Bruce doubled to right field to score Todd Frazier with the eventual winning run, and then Devin Mesoraco hit a two-run home run that put the game to put the Reds up by three runs after one inning.

Joaquin Arias hit a sacrifice fly to cut the lead in half in the top of the second inning, and then Pablo Sandoval got the Giants within one with a sacrifice fly of his own in the top of the third.

Unfortunately that would be as close as the Giants would get, as Brandon Phillips hit a two-run double to score Hamilton and Frazier to give the Reds their second three-run lead of the night.

Bruce added another RBI in the bottom of the fifth inning, as he singled in Phillips and then Brayan Pena put the finishing touches on the scoring ,as he hit into a Fielder’s Choice to score Bruce.