The four-time All-Star has won three of his last four matchups against Cincinnati.
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But it wasn t Jay Bruce s shot into the right field arcade – his fourth of the three-game series at AT&T Park – that wholly undermined Madison Bumgarner s effort Wednesday afternoon.
The Reds enter the game as one of baseball’s hottest teams since the All-Star break, having won seven of 10. The last-place Reds are 8-4 over that stretch.
“We’re on the younger side, some of us, but we’ve got a lot of guys who have been through some adversity”, Bumgarner said.
“These ruts are tough things you get into”, Bochy said. “It’s unfortunate but we just have to keep coming out and battle them”.
Red-hot outfielder Jay Bruce ambushed Bumgarner in the seventh, hitting a first-pitch fastball that went deep into the arcade section.
The Reds tied it with an unearned run in the fifth inning – the first that Bumgarner allowed at home in 20 innings dating back to a start on June 25 against the Phillies.
“He’s an ace in every sense of the word”.
Bruce and Duvall hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth off Sergio Romo. He’s a strike-thrower, he’s going to be around the plate and he’s going to make you put the ball in play. But all of the good feelings went away quickly.
DeSclafani (6-0) pitched in and out of trouble and gave up two home runs but continued his strong run since missing the first two months of the season with a strained left oblique.
Manager Bruce Bochy wasted no time getting Cain out right at that point after a 78-pitch night in which he walked one and struck out four. “We couldn’t generate much offensively and it’s disappointing when you have your starter throw like that”. “Today, I just got back to seeing the ball first before I made that decision”.
Third baseman Matt Duffy said he hopes to be back very soon, and credits acupuncture as one of the biggest reasons. He hasn’t had much run support of late, with the Giants scoring 10 runs in his last five games.
“We’re trying to score as many runs for him as we can”, Giants catcher Buster Posey said.
Peavy allowed six runs over five-plus innings.
A 1-0 lead felt sturdy, the way Bumgarner was dealing.
“Definitely, you take pride in battling against the best in baseball”, Straily said”. Tony Cingrani pitched the ninth for his 11th save.
The Giants announced a crowd of 42,147, marking the 455th consecutive sellout at AT&T Park and tying the Cleveland Indians for the second-longest streak in major league history. “I didn’t talk to him (to ask) whether he lost it in the sun”.
Pagan singled leading off the ninth but was forced out at second when shortstop Zack Cozart robbed Mac Williamson with a nice grab on a ball hit up the middle.
“That’s us: We don’t do anything easy”, Bochy said.
Joey Votto broke up the no-hitter with an infield single in the fourth, and Brandon Phillips lined a clean one in the fifth.
Giants: 3B Ramiro Pena left with a bruised groin after taking a bad hop on pinch-hitter Ivan De Jesus’ grounder in the seventh.
Bumgarner’s start couldn’t jump-start the offense; Dan Straily forced the Giants bats to flat line. Brandon McCarthy (2-1) lasted just four innings for the Dodgers in his first loss since September 23, 2014.
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The loss trimmed the Giants’ lead to 2 1/2 games in the NL West, their slimmest advantage since May 18.
