The San Francisco Giants Kevin Duggar goes yard for a grand slam in the top of the third inning at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati against the Cincinnati Reds Thu May 20, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

The San Francisco Giants wrapped up a four-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Thursday in blowout fashion — with a 19-4 victory that was the best offensive showing in MLB so far this season.

Steven Duggar hit a 427-foot grand slam, the first of his career, in the third inning. Brandon Crawford hit his 11th, the most within the team, and drove in six runs. Darin Ruf hit a two-run homer also in the third inning. The Giants lead 10-1 by the end of the third.

In the seventh inning, Evan Longoria had a two-run shot and San Francisco was up 18-2.

“It was just a contagious day today,” Duggar said. “It was a good day to be at the plate, for sure.”

The Reds scored two runs in the eighth inning but the Giants had a final run in the ninth and sealed the victory at 19-4.

“You don’t expect a 19-run outburst like this. It happens once once in a blue moon, but I do think it’s an indication that we’re having quality at-bats,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said.

He added of Duggar’s longest homer in his career: “He had a pretty magnetic smile as he came into the dugout.”

It was San Francisco’s first four-game sweep in Cincinnati since 1983 as well as their first sweep of the Reds since 1990.

The Giants finished the East Coast road trip with six wins in eight games against the Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates. They improved to 28-16, the best record in the league, and strengthen their spot at the top of the NL West.

Kapler was very pleased but made clear the team is far from being comfortable.

“We’re staying humble and we’re staying hungry, because we’ve got a long way to go,” Kapler said. “We’re not going to ever be disappointed with a 6-2 road trip to the East Coast, it’s very encouraging, but we know that we have a lot of work ahead of us.”

But as it stands, the Giants are in exactly the position they want to be in ahead of their biggest series of the year.

San Francisco hosts the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers at Oracle Park on Friday for the first of a three-game series. It is the first meeting of the season between the rivals. First pitch is at 6:45 p.m.

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