Photo credit: @SFGiants

By: Lewis Rubman

San Francisco Giants: 6 | 10 | 2

Cincinnati Reds: 5 | 11 | 0

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants sent Madison Bumgarner (2-4, 3.99) to the mound this afternoon, hoping to salvage one victory in this week end’s series against the resurgent Reds. The Redlegs, after saving their honor by beating the A’s in the series finale at the Coliseum, enjoyed a three game winning streak, started Tyler Mahle (0-5, 3.69 ERA). San Francisco went into contest sitting at the bottom of the NL West standings with a three-game losing streak, the last two losses coming against Cincinnati, and a won-lost record of 16-23. In spite of their recent success on both sides of the bay, the Redlegs woke up this morning as the NL Central’s cellar dweller at 16-22.

In the opening frame, the Giants’ defense was as shaky as 5.9 on the Richter scale. Catcher’s interference by Erik Katz allowed lead off batter Nick Senzel to reach first base. He advanced to second on Katz’s subsequent passed ball. Senzel stopped at third after Eugenio Suárez singled to left, which he followed up with an uncontested steal of second. Both men scored on José Iglesias’s single to left center, where Kevin Pillar bobbled the ball for an error that allowed the runner to advance to second. He tried to score on Kyle Farmer’s single to center, but Pillar redeemed himself by throwing the Reds’ shortstop out at home.

The Giants evened the score on Pablo Sandoval’s homer to left in the second. The Panda’s blast came with Steven Duggar on second, which he had reached on a double to right center.

Doubles were Bumgarner’s undoing in the top of the second. José Peraza and Nick Senzel hit back to back two baggers with two outs to put the Rhinelanders back in the lead, 3-2. Bumgarner limited the damage by striking out Joey Votto for the second time in as many innings. It was Bumgarner’s fourth of the game.

Yasiel Puig, relentlessly booed by the Giants’ faithful all series long, gave them another reason to voice their displeasure by leading off Cincinnati’s sixth with a first pitch homer to left, his seventh round tripper of the campaign. The Reds were up 4-2.

That inning was Bumgarner’s last. He left after throwing 107 pitches, 71 of them strikes. Two of the four runs he allowed were earned. He gave up eight hits and four walks. His strikeout total was seven. Sam Dyson replaced him.

Bumgarner got a no decision because Brandon Belt’s second career pinch hit home came in the bottom of the seventh with Brandon Crawford on base, knotting the game up at four. That was the last pitch for Mahle, who also left the game with a no decision. All four of the runs scored against him were earned, and he struck out eight Giants, while walking only one. He threw 93 pitches, 61 of them strikes. His replacement was Zach Duke.

Belt had pinch hit for Dyson, so Reyes Moronta took the mound for San Francisco in the top of the eighth. Cincinnati loaded the bases on him with a single that ended a 12 pitch at-bat by Suárez, a walk to Puig, and a single by Iglesias. Dyson rose to the occasion by striking out Kyle Farmer. When switch-hitting catcher Tucker Barnhart was announced as a pinch hitter for Curt Casali, Bochy countered by calling on lefty Tony Watson to relieve the right-handed Moronta. Watson walked Barnhart, and the Reds went ahead, 5-4. But Watson got Jesse Winker, pinch-hitting for Duke, to force Puig out at home, Watson to Vogt, who had replaced Kratz behind the plate. Crawford made a nice catch on Peraza’s hard line drive to end the troubles, but Cincinnati led 5-4.

The worm turned in the bottom of the eighth, with David Hernández now on the mound for the Reds. Evan Longoria led of with a single to left and advanced to third on Sandoval’s double to right center. Both runners stayed put when Mac Williamson grounded out to short. Then Crawford struck out, and it looked like another disappointing loss was in store of San Francisco. But Kevin Pilllar singled to center. Longoria scored easily, and the panda capped his day by sliding home with the leading run.

Wil Smith closed it out for the Giants with a 1-2-3 ninth, including two strike outs.

The win went to Watson, now 2-0. The save went to Smith, his 10th. The loss went to Hernández, now 0-2 with a blown save.

The wind played havoc with fly balls most of the afternoon, but what else is new? This is, after all, San Francisco.

Tomorrow will be a day off for the Giants. They’ll host the Blue Jays in San Francisco on Tuesday at 6:45 pm.