Duffy Powers Giants to Fourth Straight Victory

SAN FRANCISCO —

Matt Duffy had two doubles, Tim Hudson gritted through pain, and Brandon Belt drove in a pair of runs and saved a few with his glove to give the Giants a 5-3 win over the Reds, their fourth straight victory.

The Giants got to Cincinnati starter Keyvius Sampson early, knocking him for two runs before most fans were even in their seats. After Angel Pagan singled to lead off the bottom of the first and Alejandro De Aza reached on an error, Duffy added his first double, roping a liner down the right field line. De Aza only scored because Jay Bruce had trouble holding onto the ball once he fielded it, giving the Giants a free run.

They added on two more in the third inning, Sampson’s last in an outing cut short by the Giants’ offensive success. Ehire Adrianza walked after launching a towering splash hit that went just foul on the previous pitch, and later moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt and a fly-out. Duffy followed with his second double of the game, a line shot down the left-field line. With 26, Duffy now has the second-most doubles for a Giants’ rookie since 1986, when Will Clark and Robby Thompson both had 27.

The big thumpers behind Duffy, Brandon Belt and Marlon Byrd, followed with a booming triple and a just as booming double, respectively. After three extra-base hits in the third, the Giants found themselves holding a comfortable 4-0 lead heading into the fifth, when it almost unraveled.

Bruce Bochy lauded Duffy after the game, praising his grit and determination:

“This kid has had a terrific year. He hasn’t had a day off in ninety-something games, and he just goes out there and looks the same every day. You’d think he’d show some wear and tear at this point. Even when he had a bad ankle there for a few days, he played through it — he’s a tremendous kid. I know there’s been a couple other guys with big rookie years, but he’s right there in the mix. He’s a pleasure to manage.”

With Duffy giving the Giants such a big cushion, Tim Hudson had been cruising, giving up hits only to one player, Ramon Cabrera (Who went 4 for 4, and is 6 of his last 9), until there was one out in the fifth. Hudson explained that his hip had been ‘barking at him’ since the second inning, and he seemed to lose his stamina as the game went along. But he insisted that the injury wouldn’t affect his next start, and was just “one of things that [he] has to deal with from time to time. It’s something we’ll just treat and take care of.”

Regardless of why, Reds’ hitters starting getting to Hudson better the second time through the lineup, loading the bases with one out after a single, double, and walk. So with two ‘big lefties’ in Jay Bruce and Joey Votto coming up next and lefty specialist Javier Lopez warm in the pen, the decision to yank Hudson after just 70 pitches wasn’t about his hip, but rather, “the matchup,” in Hudson’s eyes at least.

Lopez did his job at first, inducing Bruce to ground out, with Belt making a great play ranging to his left on a soft grounder to nail the runner at the dish. Even though Bochy thought it was a ‘terrific play,’ Belt surprised “all of [them] in the dugout” with his decision to throw home.

One person wasn’t surprised at all: Buster Posey. He had told Belt to go home on a slow roller instead of turning two during the mound visit that replaced Hudson, and go home he did. It probably ended up saving the Giants a run, which could have changed the outcome of the game.

Lopez ended up walking Votto on four pitches with the bases loaded to give the Reds their first run, but George Kontos slammed the door by getting Brandon Phillips to ground out to end the inning.

After that, the Reds only added four more hits, including Jay Bruce’s two-run homer to make it interesting, cutting the Giants’ lead to 4-3. Belt added an insurance run in the eighth with a sacrifice fly, extending the Giants’ lead to 5-3, a figure that would hold, despite a shaky ninth from Santiago Casilla. The right-handed closer gave up two hits to start the frame, and had to throw 27 pitches, but eventually the Reds folded.

Notes:

Even though the Giants won, they remain 7.5 games back of Los Angeles after their win over Colorado on Monday….The Giants moved to 4-1 against the Reds on the season….Reds’ center fielder Billy Hamilton had to leave the game with a sore right shoulder….The Giants have won 20 of their last 25 home games….Chris Heston (11-10, 3.55) will take the hill tomorrow in the series finale, facing left-hander John Lamb (1-3, 5.18)….