By Morris Phillips

Jay Bruce stayed hot, the Giants stayed cold, and Madison Bumgarner found himself in between, unable to affect either extreme.

Bruce’s seventh inning solo shot off of Bumgarner was the difference on Wednesday afternoon, swinging the game, a 2-1 decision, and three-game series to the Reds. When the margins are that narrow, it’s frustrating, especially to the coldest big league team over the last two weeks that still is just one game removed from having the game’s best record.

“You run into a well-pitched game,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “That happens. You hate to see it when your guy throws well. No question, (Reds’ starter Dan Straily) pitched great. We just couldn’t do much with him.”

The former Athletic, Straily, has made 63 starts over bits and pieces of five major league seasons, and Wednesday he more than proved that his career is starting to gain traction. The right hander pitched into the eighth inning, allowing a run, on three hits and one walk, striking out five. He improved his season record to 6-6, and now has two wins against the Giants, one win against the A’s.

After throwing 90 pitches, and recording two outs in the eighth, manager Bryan Price lifted Straily, preventing his starter from potentially registering his first career complete game. But Straily also felt the timing was right, his pitches were starting to lose steam, and regardless he had completed his mission.

“Three pitches or less, that should be your goal every single time,” Straily said after doing just that with 13 of the 23 batters he faced. “It’s just part of who I am as a pitcher.”

The Giants’ lack of offense lowlighted their 1-7 road trip, then things perked up the first two games against Cincinnati, followed by Wednesday’s drought that was punctuated with too many quick outs, and no pop. Leadoff hitter Gregor Blanco saw just nine pitches, but made four outs, and the team couldn’t chase Straily, or score after Conor Gillapsie’s solo home run in the third inning.

The pitching was far better, courtesy of Bumgarner, but the home run he allowed to Bruce was the eighth allowed by Giants’ pitching in the series, a new, low mark over a three-game set in AT&T Park history. Those eight follow, the 18 round-trippers the staff allowed on the road trip, which is lot of slack jaws, and eyes rolling on the mound.

Bruce has homered in five consecutive games, and has 25 of the season.

The Giants lead in the NL West remains 2 ½ games over the Dodgers, who lost at home to the Rays on Wednesday. After losing nine of 11 since the All-Star break, the Giants (59-42) are only looking up to the Cubs, who hold the game’s best record at 60-40.

The team is hopeful that they will get Hunter Pence and Joe Panik back on Monday, in time for a road trip that begins in Philadelphia. Recent rumors have the team linked to San Diego’s Andrew Cashner and Milwaukee’s Jeremy Jeffress on the trade market, but it’s likely the team will face the NL East leading Nationals the next four days without any roster movement.

Johnny Cueto faces Washington’s Tanner Roark in Thursday night’s series opener at 7:15pm.