Photo credit: @Reds

By: Lewis Rubman

Cincinnati: 5 | 10 | 1
San Francisco: 4 | 9 | 0

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO — Taking the mound against Cincinnati this evening, Jeff Samardzija had, at 3.16, the lowest ERA of any starter on the Giants’ staff. His opponent, Anthony DeScalafani, checked in with a 3.65 ERA. The two right-handed hurlers had identical won-lost records of 2-1. They hadn’t gone up against each other before today, but each had faced the other’s team once this season. On May 5, The Shark gave up five runs in as many innings in a no-decision against the Rhinelanders. The next day, DeScalafani pitched six innings and surrendered six tallies to earn a win over San Francisco.

It didn’t take long for the Reds to get to Samardzja. Nick Senzel led off with a five pitch walk and two pitches later rode home on the slumping Joey Votto’s triple to center field. It looked as though the Giants´ hurler

Would escape further damage when he struck out Eugenio Suárez and Jesse Winker swinging. But then the also slumping Yasiel Puig lined a home run into the left field bleachers and the Redlegs were up 3-0.

The Giants fought back in the bottom of the first with a two out home run to center by Evan Longoria. They threatened further on a two strike single to left center by Pablo Sandoval, the bobblehead honoree of the day. Mac Willliamson moved the Panda up a base with a single to left. But Brandon Crawford grounded out, DeScalafani to Votto at first, to end the inning.

Each pitcher got a hit his first time at bat, DeScalafani, batting in the number eight slot, got a single in the second; his grounder to third killed a bases loaded, two out threat the next inning. Samardzja also got his in the second inning, a single to center that set up a two on, one out chance for the Giants to tie the game, but Panik flew out to right and Vogt grounded out to second.

The Giants did even the score in their half the fourth when, after Crawford and Pillar had singled, Puig tried to make a diving catch of Steven Duggar’s sinking liner to right. The ball rolled towards the fence, and Crawford and Pillar raced home. After Samardzja struck out, Joe Panik’s sac fly to center broke the tie and gave the Giants a 4-3 lead.

Bochy decided that 85 pitches and a one run lead was enough for his starting pitcher, and so he brought in Trevor Gott to take over mound duty at the start of the visitors’ fifth. Eugenio Suárez’s definitive line drive home run to left immediately retied the score.

In keeping with the game’s see-saw nature, manager Dave Bell lifted DeScalafani in favor of Robert Stephenson, who kept San Francisco off the boarded until Josh VanMeter pinch hit for him an inning later. By then, Mark Melançon was on the bump for the Giants.

The pitchers’ parade continued. Amir Garret for Cincy in the sixth. Reyes Moronta for San Francisco in the seventh. He surrendered a tie-breaking Texas League single to Derek Dietrich that brought Suárez home from third, which he’d reached on a double and a passed ball. David Hernández for the Reds in the seventh, when he struck out the side on 15 pitches, and the eighth, when he also retired the side in order, but fanning only two. Tony Watson for the Giants in the eighth and Wil Smith, who closed the proverbial barn door in the ninth. Raisel Iglesias closed out the contest for Cincinnati with a 1-2-3 ninth, culminating with the strike out of a pinching hitting Brandon Belt.

The evening’s work left Cincinnati with a record of 18-22 and San Francisco with a balance of 16-23. The win went to Amir Garrett (now 2-1) , while the loss was hung on Reyes Moronta (1-3). Raisel Iglesias got the save, his eighth.

The series finale is scheduled for 1:05 pm tomorrow afternoon. Right-hander Tyler Mahle (0-5, 3.69 ERA) will start for Cincinnati. He lost to the A’s on May 7 in spite of having given up only one run in 6 1/3 innings of work because Mike Fiers threw a no-hitter. Madison Bumgarner (2-4, 3.99 ERA) will take the mound for the Giants.