SAN FRANCISCO — Matt Cain ran into a fastball for a three-run homer and Brandon Belt ended the game in left field. It was that kind of night for the Giants (59-41), who outslugged the Reds (39-61) in a 9-7 win. The Giants kept pace with the winning Dodgers, maintaining their 2.5 game lead in the National League West. Here’s how Tuesday night unfolded.
The big moment
It’s been 83 starts since Cain last did this. He left the yard for the first time since July 21, 2012, when he and Cole Hamels both hit home runs off each other. Reds lefty Cody Reed didn’t have as much success off Cain, who gave the Giants a four-run lead with one swing.
At the plate
Before Cain’s mighty swing, the Giants endured their nightly share of struggles with runners in scoring position. Denard Span and Angel Pagan reached to start the first inning, but that rally was wiped out by a Mac Williamson double play and Buster Posey flyout. Then with two runners on in the second inning, Grant Green dribbled one back to Reed for an unproductive first out.
But the Giants’ release finally came with runners in scoring position, and naturally from the last two hitters in the order. Ramiro Peña snaked one into the hole at shortstop to score Brandon Crawford and give the Giants a 1-0 lead. Cain came up and quadrupled it, belting his seventh career home run with a couple runners on base. It was his fifth home run at AT&T Park and his first-ever three-run home run.
With the Reds closing in on the Giants in the sixth and seventh innings, Crawford provided insurance with a two-RBI triple to make it 8-4. His fifth triple of the year came on the heels of a perfectly executed hit-and-run by Posey, who moved Williamson to third with no out. Connor Gillaspie also lined a pinch single to stretch the Giants’ lead to five.
On the mound
Giants starters entered Tuesday with only two quality starts and 16 home runs allowed in the second half. Cain couldn’t provide reliever to either problem, but still had a few positives to lean on in his 5 1/3 innings. It was the first time in four starts he lasted into the sixth inning. He shutdown the Reds for three innings on 42 pitches before Joey Votto deposited the second pitch of the fourth inning into the left field seats.
That was the first of two home runs hit off Cain, with Adam Duvall providing the topper in the sixth inning to draw the Reds within two runs of the Giants’ 6-4 lead. That was the 21st home run allowed by the Giants in 10 games since the All-Star break.
It was the last pitch Cain threw as he allowed three or more runs for his third consecutive start.
In the ‘pen
George Kontos, Derek Law and Javier Lopez combined to allow one hit over the sixth and seventh innings. As KNBR’s Marty Lurie pointed out, the success of that tag team is paramount. The Giants are rumored to be in the reliever’s trade market, but only for an impact arm that can dominate in the eighth or ninth inning.
This still leaves the middle innings to be taken care of, and it’s been a struggle at times. Not on Tuesday, because the eighth inning was the problem. Sergio Romo allowed back-to-back home runs to Jay Bruce and Duvall, the first runs he’s allowed since coming off the disabled list.
Santiago Casilla let the tying run come up in the ninth inning, but wrapped up his first save in two and a half weeks. It’s his 21st of the season.
On deck
The Giants and Reds meet for the final time this season on Wednesday afternoon. Madison Bumgarner (10-5, 2.14 ERA) is still seeking his first win of the second half, and he’s opposed by former A’s right-hander Dan Straily (5-6, 4.01 ERA). First pitch at 12:45 p.m. on KNBR 680.